DRIVES Synonyms: 344 Similar and Opposite Words

drives 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drive

as in runs

to urge, push, or force onward cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco

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Relevance

as in motors

to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

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as in pushes

to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one drove the plunger into the opening

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as in compels

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure the corrupt governor was driven out of office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in activates

to cause to function machinery driven by waterpower

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as in moves

to set or keep in motion this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft

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as in speeds

to proceed or move quickly the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop

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drives

2 of 2

noun

plural of drive

as in highways

a passage cleared for public vehicular travel raced our motorcycles along the drive

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as in campaigns

a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drives

Verb

For many in the industry, a tentpole feature is one that costs more than $100 million to produce, often exceeding $200 million or $250 million, and that drives significant traffic to movie theaters. — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026 Beyond the gore, there’s room to explore who these people are and what drives them. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026 This conclusion drives home that Chris will never be able to fully vanquish evil; he’ll be stuck in a loop, eternally pursuing this specter. — Samantha Bergeson, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026 Filling a pothole matters to the person who drives over it every day, but repeatedly filling the same hole without addressing the underlying street condition is not an effective use of taxpayer dollars. — Vince Fattore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026 To put it bluntly, who cares what’s under the hood if no one ever drives the car? — Larisa Summers, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Thami Schweichler, the founder of URC, said investment in repair drives positive social change and helps brands to achieve their circularity goals. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026 Speakers noted the Republican nominee's oil and gas investments as the energy sector amasses profits while the Iran war drives up fuel costs. — Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026 Battery demand drives expansion The timing of the investment reflects several industries placing greater demands on batteries and electricity infrastructure. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Noun

The Lions are struggling to stop the pass, struggling to stop the run, are allowing lengthy drives and are – once again – facing injuries to key players. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 Enjoyed scenic drives over the Rickenbacker Causeway to cover tennis on Key Biscayne. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026 Miami’s offensive line had a poor second half against Wake Forest, and the Hurricanes went five drives without a first down. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 Although this hypothetical technology was long considered to be exclusively a fictional idea, a growing number of physicists have begun to wonder if warp drives might really be possible, and if not in a practical sense, at least on paper. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026 As respiratory virus season nears and fall vaccination drives get underway, more than half of US children are facing uncertainty over access to this year’s COVID-19 shot. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 Some drives are rated as drop-proof (HDDs are more vulnerable to tumbles than SSDs), shock-proof, or crush-proof; an ingress protection (IP) rating denotes protection from dust, dirt, and water. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 Detroit went up 21-0 midway through the third quarter of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints after forcing turnovers on consecutive drives, and had to escape with a 31-30 overtime win. — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 Twice Texas recovered its own fumbles on second-half scoring drives, including one on the play before Hollywood Smothers scored the winning touchdown with 25 seconds left. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives

Verb

One of the novel’s sharpest scenes comes when Ellen calls and Ruby, hearing urgency in her voice, runs automatically through the house to find better signal.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Southeast Asia's wet season generally runs from June to October, when rains usually replenish reservoirs, cool overheated cities and supply water for irrigation ahead of the next planting season.

— EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

The track never pushes too hard; its momentum comes from a nimble bassline, quick phrasing, and a chorus that lands with effortless precision.

— Brittney Williams, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
An industrial controller pushes a button Getting the refrigeration system and ground loops working was only part of the challenge.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

However, the necessity of operating without a financial safety net compels one to internalize these lessons.

— Shreyans Lodha, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
And most of them did not choose the economic arrangement that compels them to burn that carbon, that splits labor and leisure in this way, that organizes work and pleasure around certain kinds of mobility.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

One of those earlier findings was that the ectoderm of the early embryo activates two genes, one in the front half of the embryo, one in the back.

— JOHN TIMMER, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
When the thermostat calls for cooling, the PLC activates the actuator, which physically presses the window unit’s power button.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

Santiago’s next hearing is scheduled for September 21, the first of what could be a lengthy series of court proceedings as the case moves forward.

— Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Central Florida will see more widespread showers and thunderstorms this weekend and into next week as a disturbance moves across the region and brings additional moisture, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

— Keily Alfonzo, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of moves

Verb

When life speeds up, intentional relaxation is usually the first thing that flies out the window.

— Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 23 Sep. 2026
Of course, the vitamin A derivative—which speeds up cellular turnover to reveal fresher-looking skin— has been known to irritate some skin types.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of speeds

Noun

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern cite 500-plus supportive customers, more than 2,000 filed statements, and backers including trucking giant Knight-Swift and a claim of 2 million fewer truckloads on highways.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
For decades, the story has focused on population loss, empty storefronts, highways that divided neighborhoods and a downtown that too often goes quiet after work.

— Mark Taylor, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026