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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of drives
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Fire shelters are mandatory equipment for crews who work across rugged terrain where things can change at a moment’s notice, especially when extremely dry and windy weather drives the flames, as happened last Saturday.
—
Jack Dura,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
OpenAI reported compute efficiency breakthrough drives down chip stocks.
—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
2 July 2026
What drives so many people to 1) use racial slurs, then 2) go on Love Island USA?
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Popular activities include hiking and camping, with scenic byway drives and an annual astronomy festival also available.
—
Scott Bay,
Travel + Leisure,
2 July 2026
Enterprise solid-state drives, or SSDs, are storage devices designed for data centers.
—
Jenny Lee,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
Local Venezuelan restaurants are springing into action with donation drives and fundraisers.
—
Melody Xu,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
Aspiring leaders and high-potential professionals often prioritize building relationships with senior leaders, assuming visibility at the top drives advancement.
—
Andy Lopata,
Harvard Business Review,
1 July 2026
The family also made regular 10-hour drives to play in Vancouver.
—
Idaho Statesman,
1 July 2026
Beyond internal storage, DupFiles Cleaner Pro supports external drives, NAS devices, and cloud storage, enabling users to scan multiple locations from a single application.
—
Stackcommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
1 July 2026
His blend of power, explosiveness and coordination on his drives and transition gives him tools other players can’t match.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
Verb
By stripping out parts and, crucially, reducing the number of unique parts, the company shortens manufacturing time, raises reliability, and drives down cost, all at once.
—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Fire shelters are mandatory equipment for crews who work across rugged terrain where things can change at a moment’s notice, especially when extremely dry and windy weather drives the flames, as happened last Saturday.
—
Jack Dura,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
OpenAI reported compute efficiency breakthrough drives down chip stocks.
—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
2 July 2026
What drives so many people to 1) use racial slurs, then 2) go on Love Island USA?
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
Noun
The best ports are those that can spread visitors across multiple experiences, from short walks and museum visits to full-day scenic drives.
—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Popular activities include hiking and camping, with scenic byway drives and an annual astronomy festival also available.
—
Scott Bay,
Travel + Leisure,
2 July 2026
Enterprise solid-state drives, or SSDs, are storage devices designed for data centers.
—
Jenny Lee,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
Local Venezuelan restaurants are springing into action with donation drives and fundraisers.
—
Melody Xu,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
Aspiring leaders and high-potential professionals often prioritize building relationships with senior leaders, assuming visibility at the top drives advancement.
—
Andy Lopata,
Harvard Business Review,
1 July 2026
The family also made regular 10-hour drives to play in Vancouver.
—
Idaho Statesman,
1 July 2026
Beyond internal storage, DupFiles Cleaner Pro supports external drives, NAS devices, and cloud storage, enabling users to scan multiple locations from a single application.
—
Stackcommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
1 July 2026
His blend of power, explosiveness and coordination on his drives and transition gives him tools other players can’t match.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives
Verb
-
There is almost no modern precedent (Steven Speilberg runs Amblin, a production company, not a studio arm.
-
The companies have so far reached settlements worth nearly $58 billion, according to a tally kept by Christine Minhee, who runs Opioid Settlement Tracker.
Verb
-
Even most CEOs don’t have a full picture of which AI tools their teams are using.
-
Liccardo asked Atkins whether the SEC has opened an investigation into the trades, and what tools the SEC has to investigate them.
Verb
-
Finney-Smith’s arrival leaves Charlotte with 17 players on standard pacts and when factoring the utilization of the maximum of three two-way contract slots into account when they are officially filled, that pushes the Hornets up to 20.
-
What that collaboration has come up with is a new knife that pushes Opinel's classic profile to new heights in terms of user friendliness and features.
Verb
-
This ruling compels companies to confront systemic biases embedded in their hiring data, rather than solely blaming technology.
-
When systemic failures persist, lawsuits are the catalyst that compels meaningful reform and protects children who cannot protect themselves.
Verb
-
Rucking activates the upper trapezius, shoulders, upper back, abdominals, obliques and lower back, according to trainers and coaches who specialize in the method.
-
Scent activates pathways that trigger emotional and memory responses.
Verb
-
Your mind takes you on an adventure as Jupiter moves into Leo today.
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.
Verb
-
Frequent mowing keeps clippings small, preventing smothering and speeds up decomposition for reuse.
-
The First Alert Weather Team is keeping an eye on this next storm system, just in case the timeline speeds up.
Noun
-
Here's your daily look at traffic on major highways in the Kansas City area.
-
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the museum offers a patriotic lens into how the canals, highways, railroads and mines that stitched this country together were built by machines born in American factories.
Cite this Entry
“Drives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drives. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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