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
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
In one scene, the crew drives into Yosemite, where towering granite walls and sweeping vistas leave most visitors speechless.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Vox Media’s premium ad marketplace Concert is part of the transaction, as is Forte, the first-party data platform that drives high-margin ad sales.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 June 2026
And trust is what actually drives business.
—Sun Yi, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
As Legendary’s Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Rich drives the global vision of marketing, branding, communications, while focusing on expanding the studio’s business through new technologies in marketing and data analytics.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 June 2026
Karl-Anthony Towns drives past Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals at MSG.
—CBS News, 11 June 2026
Meanwhile, the ohmic-heating system drives electrical current through the plasma to raise temperatures and support confinement.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
After a betrayal drives them apart and sours their relationship, the best friends become estranged from each other.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Much like the jet drives used on personal watercraft, its 90 hp waterjet propulsion produces instant acceleration, impressive speeds, and nimble handling.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
Farther south still in the park, at Hayes and Richards drives, is the Statue of the Republic.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Game drives become opportunities not just to see animals, but also to create images.
—Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Through the years, the union has partnered with the food bank for charity drives.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
El Dorado, Placer, Yolo and Yuba counties do not have dedicated American Red Cross donation centers but offer mobile blood drives throughout their communities.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
If employees do not need external drives for daily work, block them.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Champagnie’s defensive value comes from his hands on drives and his rebounding, but quick guards can take advantage of his footwork and beat him at the point of attack.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Verb
Fragrance expert Aimee Majoros, author of Aimee Is Beauty, told Real Simple that packaging quietly drives a lot of the markup.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
In one scene, the crew drives into Yosemite, where towering granite walls and sweeping vistas leave most visitors speechless.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Vox Media’s premium ad marketplace Concert is part of the transaction, as is Forte, the first-party data platform that drives high-margin ad sales.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 June 2026
And trust is what actually drives business.
—Sun Yi, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
As Legendary’s Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Rich drives the global vision of marketing, branding, communications, while focusing on expanding the studio’s business through new technologies in marketing and data analytics.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 June 2026
Karl-Anthony Towns drives past Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals at MSG.
—CBS News, 11 June 2026
Meanwhile, the ohmic-heating system drives electrical current through the plasma to raise temperatures and support confinement.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
After a betrayal drives them apart and sours their relationship, the best friends become estranged from each other.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Noun
The operatives take the drives and release Jane, who is bruised and bloodied.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Much like the jet drives used on personal watercraft, its 90 hp waterjet propulsion produces instant acceleration, impressive speeds, and nimble handling.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
Farther south still in the park, at Hayes and Richards drives, is the Statue of the Republic.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Game drives become opportunities not just to see animals, but also to create images.
—Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Through the years, the union has partnered with the food bank for charity drives.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
El Dorado, Placer, Yolo and Yuba counties do not have dedicated American Red Cross donation centers but offer mobile blood drives throughout their communities.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
If employees do not need external drives for daily work, block them.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Champagnie’s defensive value comes from his hands on drives and his rebounding, but quick guards can take advantage of his footwork and beat him at the point of attack.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives
Verb
-
Forget about watching movies at the Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, Il Cinema in Piazza is an outdoor film festival (free by the way, there’s no charge for tickets) which runs during the summer in Rome, Italy, a mixture of films and retrospectives chosen by auteurs.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
-
At entry level, the Hooga HG300 panel runs roughly $149 to $200, and the Solawave wand sits near $169.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Add to this the onslaught of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years and the impact that tools such as large language models (LLMs) have had on the field of marketing, and you’re faced with a veritable juggling act—one that’s possibly never moved so fast in the whole history of the discipline.—
Emma Westley,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Liccardo asked Atkins whether the SEC has opened an investigation into the trades, and what tools the SEC has to investigate them.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The side of the other foot then pushes the ball away before the outside of the same foot snaps it back in the other direction.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Abby is the least judgmental of the people in his circle, but Eddie pushes her away, compounding his isolation.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Richard Dreyfuss stars as an Indiana electric lineman/dad who gets discombobulated after a light from a passing UFO compels him to do weirdo things — like build a mountain replica inside of his home.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
-
Finding a way to do that, to have in-person contact with others to help them, literally compels her out of bed in the morning.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Work by Joseph Kable at the University of Pennsylvania identified a pathway known as the default mode network (DMN) that activates when people are asked to do nothing.—
Dr. Deepika Chopra,
Flow Space,
16 June 2026
-
Creative courage blends with self-trust as loving Venus activates your 5th House of Creativity and trines imaginative Neptune in your 1st House of Identity.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2026
-
Al Weaver, a frequent British television actor, plays Leonard Finch, a curate who moves to Grantchester to assist James Norton’s vicar character Sidney Chambers.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Any wind speeds over 58 mph are considered severe, according to NWS meteorologist Kyle Pallozzi.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2026
-
This is a relatively slow method that just speeds up the typical ripening rate slightly, with about two to four days needed to ripen the avocados fully.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
In all, our group passed eight freeways, two highways, and one river, twice.—
Pedro Moura,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
Here's your daily look at traffic on major highways in the Kansas City area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drives. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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