1
2
3
as in pushes
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
drove the plunger into the opening
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in compels
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
the corrupt governor was driven out of office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in activates
to cause to function
machinery driven by waterpower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in moves
to set or keep in motion
this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in speeds
to proceed or move quickly
the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in highways
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
raced our motorcycles along the drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in campaigns
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drives
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Jan. 2026
Patrick drives his dagger into Huw’s chest just as the cops show.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The belief that their accomplishments have an impact beyond their own legacy could be what drives some elite risk-takers to keep pushing themselves.
—Christopher Ferguson, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
What drives Simon to take that step, to finally accept and expose his powers?
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
In the work of David Blanchflower and Alex Bryson, previously covered by Fortune, a widespread sense of meaninglessness drives dissatisfaction with work and therefore life.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
With prospects of luxury European cars becoming cheaper, Gupta, who drives an Audi A6, is considering buying another high-end vehicle.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
So, say some small-time businessmen hire a truck through a dispatcher, the truck drives up to a field, and there, along the perimeter, a forklift crane pulls the pipe up from the sand.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
James said winning, not headlines, stories or podcasts, is what drives him, now in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
Restaurants and small businesses have stepped into a civic role, organizing food drives, donating proceeds, and offering warm gathering places when people need them most.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
By mimicking these parameters, Zhu created an AI model, dubbed TongTong, which exists in a virtual city with her own drives, motivations, and limited autonomy.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
That bond is powerful enough to override their predatory or fear drives.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Grabowski did that pretty well against Andrew, with most of his 10 points coming on drives to the basket.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Crews start with primary streets, which are exterior major roads and main drives in subdivisions, then move to secondary streets, which are smaller streets in subdivisions and lastly alternative roadways, such as cul-de-sacs, are cleared.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
About three seconds after the person has fallen to the ground, a second police vehicle enters the frame at high speed and drives over the person, a split second after they can be seen moving on the ground.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Hauser’s fourth 3-pointer of the night, four Derrick White free throws and a pair of strong Brown drives helped Boston remain in command until the midway point of the third quarter.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
Modular software drives robots The platform emphasizes that software can evolve independently of hardware, enabling robots to learn new tasks and improve over time.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Jan. 2026
Patrick drives his dagger into Huw’s chest just as the cops show.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The belief that their accomplishments have an impact beyond their own legacy could be what drives some elite risk-takers to keep pushing themselves.
—Christopher Ferguson, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
What drives Simon to take that step, to finally accept and expose his powers?
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
In the work of David Blanchflower and Alex Bryson, previously covered by Fortune, a widespread sense of meaninglessness drives dissatisfaction with work and therefore life.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
With prospects of luxury European cars becoming cheaper, Gupta, who drives an Audi A6, is considering buying another high-end vehicle.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
So, say some small-time businessmen hire a truck through a dispatcher, the truck drives up to a field, and there, along the perimeter, a forklift crane pulls the pipe up from the sand.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
James said winning, not headlines, stories or podcasts, is what drives him, now in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
The resort offers wildlife drives as well as archery, desert biking, falconry and stargazing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
Restaurants and small businesses have stepped into a civic role, organizing food drives, donating proceeds, and offering warm gathering places when people need them most.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
By mimicking these parameters, Zhu created an AI model, dubbed TongTong, which exists in a virtual city with her own drives, motivations, and limited autonomy.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
That bond is powerful enough to override their predatory or fear drives.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Grabowski did that pretty well against Andrew, with most of his 10 points coming on drives to the basket.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Crews start with primary streets, which are exterior major roads and main drives in subdivisions, then move to secondary streets, which are smaller streets in subdivisions and lastly alternative roadways, such as cul-de-sacs, are cleared.
—Jake Allen, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
About three seconds after the person has fallen to the ground, a second police vehicle enters the frame at high speed and drives over the person, a split second after they can be seen moving on the ground.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Hauser’s fourth 3-pointer of the night, four Derrick White free throws and a pair of strong Brown drives helped Boston remain in command until the midway point of the third quarter.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives
Verb
-
That new gondola runs three miles from a burgeoning base area, called East Village, to Park Peak, at 9,350 feet.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Each drone runs the same swarm engine locally.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And while there's a chance the Fed cuts rates further and pushes down mortgage rates even more, the chances are low at its January meeting.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
At one point, one of them pushes a woman who was standing near Pretti to the ground.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This same self-centeredness compels his girlfriend (Olivia Thirlby) to move out of their modest apartment without warning.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
-
North Carolina requires vaccines without enforcement State law compels North Carolina school principals to require that kindergartners get seven vaccinations within 30 days of the start of the school year.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
March is always madness, but this month intensifies matters as Mars activates your relationship zone (between March 2 and April 9), bringing complexities, buried desires and unspoken resentments to the surface.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Neuroscience has long shown that watching another person experience pain activates the same neural regions as experiencing pain ourselves.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the romantic drama (which won a special jury award for debut feature), physical therapist Audrey (Moon Choi) moves back home to help her mother recover after a car accident.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Israel says the crossing is scheduled to open Monday as its ceasefire with Hamas moves ahead.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The formula also includes Persian silk tree extract, a fancy-sounding ingredient that speeds up your skin’s healing process, resulting in a brighter, fresher complexion.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
-
After weeks of focusing on stability, the energy lightens and speeds up.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Most highways close to Baltimore were down to bare pavement Monday, but some Western Maryland roadways were still covered in snow.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Traveling by car along the highways that succeeded Route 66 still presents a deadly hazard — much more dangerous than need be.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both Ahmed and Khot described their ad campaigns as costing in the six figures.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But there are also advertising campaigns and non-linear TV activations planned from Svedka, Smirnoff and Don Julio.—
John Kell,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drives. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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