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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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

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was photographed wearing Normatec compression boots in the back seat of his car on post‑match drives home before becoming an official partner. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Emotionally powerful and also disorienting, Agazero’s shifting sounds on Dissidente are an invitation to reflect on what calls us to the dancefloor, as well as what drives us away from it. — Amanda Cavalcanti, Pitchfork, 31 July 2026 Thus, Dionysus drives Pentheus insane, lures him to the mountains, and the women of Thebes, in a state of Dionysian frenzy and led by Agave herself, tear Pentheus apart. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026 Early on, the supply of recycled materials rises as the growth of EVs eventually drives a corresponding growth in dead EVs. — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 Ranch life isn’t all sunsets and cattle drives for some of the actors bringing the Duttons’ Texas chapter to life. — Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026 Asked what drives her through trying times, Penso points to her three daughters, the eldest of whom is 12. — Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 Usage that drives new revenue, creates differentiated customer experiences, or builds proprietary capabilities is a growth investment. — Paul Keary, Fortune, 23 July 2026 But those details are unlikely to allay investors’ near-term concerns about the sluggish growth of the service and its ability to compete with market leader Waymo, which drives millions of miles per week. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 July 2026

Noun

In his email, Berney suggested that the thieves were probably just selling the drives for scrap. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 July 2026 How to give The Red Cross offers a map of blood drives by zip code. — Eva Flowe july 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026 In an investigation, the company concluded that the other drives were empty, according a source at Netflix. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 These drives are an extremely common form of fast storage on almost all modern computers. — Chetan Jaiswal, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 Big Tech companies are implementing massive layoffs, framing them as efficiency drives while simultaneously boosting AI investments. — Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Scenic drives along Independence Pass and Castle Creek Road, hikes through the Maroon Bells, and crisp mountain air make fall one of the most spectacular times to experience this magnificent Rocky Mountain oasis. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2026 Meanwhile, volunteers are organizing blood drives amid acute shortages at hospitals. — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026 Oil drives higher Meanwhile, oil prices are higher in early trade on Monday after American military casualties triggered a fresh wave of attacks on Iran. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 20 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives

Verb

Stone runs it with his brother, Luke, and named it after their grandmother, who lived on a farm outside Melbourne.

— Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
And his batting run value (which measures how many runs a hitter adds or loses for their team) is a whopping (or dismal) -14.

— Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

Chili introduces capsaicin, which activates nerves responsible for sensing heat rather than taste.

— Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Every summer in Rhode Island, Art&Newport—an organization founded in 2017 by Dodie Kazanjian, a longtime contributing editor at this magazine—activates one of the seaside city’s most historic (and picturesque) sites with a temporary art exhibition.

— Vogue, Vogue, 28 July 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

The result moves the KARNO platform beyond standalone operation and gives Hyliion a foundation for larger multi-megawatt installations built from standardized modules.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
The film moves horizontally instead of vertically, and a lot of people get thrown off by that.

— Chris Stanton, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of moves

Noun

Its only link to the province’s highways is a 5-hour train ride that shuttles passengers, freight, and vehicles through the Boreal forest.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026
Developers have pointed to the area as an ideal location because of its proximity to major highways, existing parking structure and nearby public transit hubs, such as the KC Streetcar.

— Dylan Lysen July 29, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026