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

Desalination is becoming increasingly popular, especially as the climate crisis drives more severe heat and drought, undermining water security. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 Rattled by the mystery of the bull, Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min), the bumbling, trigger-happy police chief of Hope Harbor, drives back into town and is confronted with a disaster zone. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 The healthcare industry’s voluntary agreements appeal to voters who feel government regulation drives up costs and places unnecessary burdens on businesses, some supporters say. — Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026 Its commitment to keep GitHub true to its open-source roots drives loyalty among developers. — CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 Abigail Stuart, founding partner of Day One Strategy, with 20+ years in brand and market research, drives innovation and champions AI. — Abigail Stuart, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 That movement drives a counter-clockwise running seconds hand, an Alto signature that began with its inaugural watch, the Art 01. — Carol Besler, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026 In drone shots scored to generic indie-pop, Wendy (Dakota Fanning) drives into town, looking vaguely wistful under opening credits — so far, so romcom. — Vadim Rizov, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Reuse drives the design That reusable architecture could be just as important as the rocket’s lower unit cost. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Noun

RedZone is the whip-around program that jumps around the slate to cover scoring drives. — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, now with Tampa Bay, led two second-half touchdown drives to erase a 9-0 deficit and hand the Chiefs their second preseason loss. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 All members need to think about is enjoying the drives and fast-developing friendships. — Iain MacAuley, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026 After the 2020 law took effect, Law and others who left Hong Kong continued their work abroad by meeting foreign politicians and launching petition drives. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Active travelers can embark on mountain hikes or bike the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail, while more leisurely activities include rides on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad and scenic drives. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Tagovailoa, who played only three drives, finished his day with 95 yards on seven-for-eight passing. — Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 The company and the team will also organize school supply drives, holiday events, youth camps, and football clinics throughout the year. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026 Discover the Midwest’s most charming small towns this autumn, with slow scenic drives, vivid foliage, leaf-chasing hikes, storybook-perfect downtowns, and seasonal goodies. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives

Verb

The historic buildings once occupied by radio operators now house guests of Basecamp Explorer, which runs a range of Arctic adventures on Spitsbergen, the largest of Svalbard’s islands.

— Holden Frith, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026
That idea of jewelry as a vessel for reinterpretation and connection between different wearers also runs throughout the exhibit.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

Saudia Cargo will double its fleet, adding four Boeing 777-200F jets over more than two years, as Saudi Arabia pushes to become a logistics hub linking three continents.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
When a power user pushes for an extensive, long-form synthesis, the system's optimization guardrails actively fight the input to keep token generation low, sacrificing depth to protect processing margins.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

The deal compels Facebook and Instagram to adopt new child-safety rules, including daily time caps, school-hour notification bans, stronger age checks and expanded parental controls aimed at harmful content.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Washington also opposed another streaming regulation, known as Bill 109, passed in Quebec last December, which compels streaming platforms to prioritize French-language content.

— Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

Areas farther east could see greater impacts if the center moves toward the Sabine Pass area, as some forecast guidance currently suggests.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
In training camp, Steward worked at nickel and at safety, but the personnel moves around the secondary have factored him out.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of moves

Noun

Florida officials banned license plate readers on state highways as the backlash to Flack Safety and other surveillance cameras continues to gain steam.

— Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
On Monday, Florida's state transportation office revoked local law enforcement's ability to put license plate readers on state highways.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026