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

This approach also drives innovation by ensuring new technologies address real challenges cotton growers are facing. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 And more importantly, what is this anxiety so many men feel about their emotions that drives them to torturously invent bodies that bear little resemblance to the human form? — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 The hormonal cascade that follows reshapes both melatonin, which drives sleep, and serotonin, which supports mood regulation. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 Kim and Kourtney and their friends carpooled to school, blasting hip-hop in a white BMW, while Cher drives her friends in a white Jeep Wrangler. — Jonathan Van Meter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 Every closure left a community with fewer choices, longer drives for care, and lost jobs, Holscher said. — Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 Oliver Bearman, who drives for Haas, asks Antonelli, of a race in 2021. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 The ability for employees to find the best opportunities for themselves and for employers to find the best candidates for the job help to drive innovation, which drives productivity, which drives growth, Richardson has said. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Vendors will often find their strongest ambassadors among their internal developer team because their hard work and innovation drives the product. — Kevin Cochrane, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Noun

Prosecutors say Strange copied 10 or more audio files from the drives without authority. — Eric Henderson, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Challenger 3 drives demand The new facility will support Britain’s Challenger 3 tank program, which will use a 120mm smoothbore gun. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026 The Jags led Denver 13-6 going into the fourth quarter in Week 2, but allowed consecutive touchdown drives and lost 20-13 on the road. — Mark Long, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 Between game drives, guests here lounge on the veranda overlooking the desert hoping to spy more elephants, or relax in their suites with a massage or nap. — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026 Woodring expects strong demand for hard disk drives and improving pricing to support better-than-expected results. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026 After years of long drives and lines, Inland Empire fans are getting their own Porto’s Bakery & Cafe. — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 This was the first game since at least 2000 with four touchdown drives that started inside the opponent’s 25 with all four coming after takeaways. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Miami put together two long touchdown drives to pull away in their 41-13 road win over the Tigers. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives

Verb

Blacksmith, a startup that runs the infrastructure companies use to test code before it ships, has been valued at $1 billion following a new $66 million funding round led by Sequoia Capital.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
The person runs their fingers over the camera twice, then eats a banana through the mask before walking away.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

The company reincorporated from Delaware to Texas in 2024, and its charter pushes shareholder claims into mandatory arbitration and limits derivative suits to investors holding at least 3% of the stock—a stake worth tens of billions of dollars.

— Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
North Korea has been adding mines, barbed wire fences, anti-tank barriers and other fortifications to what’s already one of the world’s most heavily armed borders as Kim Jong Un pushes a hard line toward Seoul.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

Not the kind of empathy that simply allows someone to understand another person’s struggles, but the kind that compels them to do something about it.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Here, Hendrikx plays anthropologist to a culture that compels each of us—whether a rider or not—to find our own vehicle for fulfillment, then take it to redline.

— Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

The agency rejected the recommendation, saying that using cameras that automatically activate when an officer pulls their weapon or activates a car siren could risk privacy concerns.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
And a few are very highly specific, such as the protease that activates insulin, which only cuts near a very specific series of amino acids.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

As part of its process, the powered gimbal moves the image around in the general direction the projector's already facing, stopping the movement several times in the process before continuing, and adjusting the image size several times as well.

— M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Flight testing moves forward L3Harris has reached the second phase of the Army’s Xtended Range Counter-sUAS Missile program.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of moves

Verb

Researchers have identified a new bacterial enzyme that speeds up the breakdown of polyesters and bioplastics.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
For health care CFOs, the challenge is distinguishing between an AI tool that speeds up billing and one that helps patients get the right care in the right setting—potentially changing the economics of care itself.

— Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of speeds

Noun

By exchanging ownership, McCall would be able to implement more pedestrian safety measures, such as bike lanes and walking routes that are not standard for state highways, Youmans said.

— Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
Critically, these investments also improve North Carolina roads, highways, and bridges.

— Kevin Blackwell, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026