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
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 4 June 2026
That rapid glucose spike drives insulin up and can contribute to metabolic stress over time.
—Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, CNBC, 4 June 2026
He’s used to being the guy who drives a gap shot for an RBI double.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
The psychology that drives search engine optimization still exists, but the mechanism is different.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Females will lay eggs but these won’t hatch, which experts say drives down the population over time.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Hannah drives faster and faster.
—Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026
Coverage of Black women’s deaths is less frequent, less sustained and less likely to generate the kind of public outrage that drives policy change.
—Sativa Banks, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Add that tent and the $5,100 six-seat Crew Cab upgrade, and the Paragon drives and sleeps a total of six people.
—New Atlas, 4 June 2026
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 4 June 2026
The cabin is well insulated from road and wind noise, and the front seats offer a wide range of adjustments for comfort during longer drives.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
And here’s what people may not always understand – electric drives are often significantly better-suited for off-road conditions than on urban roads.
—Utkarsh Sood
june 03, New Atlas, 3 June 2026
Still, even a narrow win would be awkward for California Democrats, after party leaders asked voters to redraw the state’s congressional district maps in order to flip seats from red to blue and counteract Republican redistricting drives in other states.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Butlers, guides, and hosts work seamlessly together to anticipate your needs and make even the earliest morning game drives feel comfortable.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Clients respected her on long, fun drives across the country, and managers treated her right.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
Pair that with executive accountability and continuous measurement to ensure transformation drives impact.
—Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
If this is the move the Chiefs needed to make for Reid to empower the ground game via formation and personnel, the team could become less reliant on Mahomes’ legs to sustain drives.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Verb
The scenario might be to treat 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 59th, 125th, and maybe the streets leading to the transverse drives across the park this way, giving them over to buses and bikes with some street-dining structures and greenery to boot.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 4 June 2026
That rapid glucose spike drives insulin up and can contribute to metabolic stress over time.
—Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, CNBC, 4 June 2026
He’s used to being the guy who drives a gap shot for an RBI double.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
The psychology that drives search engine optimization still exists, but the mechanism is different.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Females will lay eggs but these won’t hatch, which experts say drives down the population over time.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Hannah drives faster and faster.
—Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026
Coverage of Black women’s deaths is less frequent, less sustained and less likely to generate the kind of public outrage that drives policy change.
—Sativa Banks, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Add that tent and the $5,100 six-seat Crew Cab upgrade, and the Paragon drives and sleeps a total of six people.
—New Atlas, 4 June 2026
Noun
Karl-Anthony Towns has been great on both ends, giving Victor Wembanyama fits defensively while scoring six points on aggressive drives to the hoop.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 4 June 2026
The cabin is well insulated from road and wind noise, and the front seats offer a wide range of adjustments for comfort during longer drives.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
And here’s what people may not always understand – electric drives are often significantly better-suited for off-road conditions than on urban roads.
—Utkarsh Sood
june 03, New Atlas, 3 June 2026
Still, even a narrow win would be awkward for California Democrats, after party leaders asked voters to redraw the state’s congressional district maps in order to flip seats from red to blue and counteract Republican redistricting drives in other states.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Butlers, guides, and hosts work seamlessly together to anticipate your needs and make even the earliest morning game drives feel comfortable.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Clients respected her on long, fun drives across the country, and managers treated her right.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
Pair that with executive accountability and continuous measurement to ensure transformation drives impact.
—Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
If this is the move the Chiefs needed to make for Reid to empower the ground game via formation and personnel, the team could become less reliant on Mahomes’ legs to sustain drives.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives
Verb
-
The 48-team tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, will include three-minute hydration breaks for players in each half of every game.—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
The 2026 French Open runs from May 17 through June 7 at the Stade Roland-Garros complex in Paris, with semifinals and finals scheduled to be played at the iconic Philippe-Chatrier court.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Cater pushes back on the idea that cutting carbs entirely is the answer.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
That lag pushes the peak of sea surface temperature in the Atlantic from the mid-June solstice to mid-September.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
This exercise compels you to step out of automatic thinking and broaden your strategic vision.—
Veronica Angela,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
The legal agreement also compels TCH to fire multiple physicians who performed these procedures, revoke their privileges, and never hire or credential such doctors.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The same circadian system that morning sunlight activates can be reinforced or undermined by what’s screwed into your lamps for the next 14 hours.—
Allison Palmer
June 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
Mercury in Cancer, for instance, activates your partnership sector — followed by the sun later this month — bringing focus to romantic, business or close one-on-one dynamics.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
As the federal government’s immigration crackdown moves closer to the Bay Area, about 100 people gathered Saturday afternoon at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose to protest plans to build a detention center in Gilroy.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
31 May 2026
-
The Boroughs stars Molina as Sam Cooper, a retired engineer who moves to the village after the death of his wife.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
But the technology risks becoming outdated as Starlink Mobile adds more robust features, including data for select mobile apps, video calling, and, eventually, 150Mbps speeds through a next-generation network.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
27 May 2026
-
Adequate spacing ensures sunlight and air can reach all parts of the plant, which speeds up fruit production.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked highways, rail lines and major intersections across Israel, clashing with police and setting cars ablaze as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv ground to a halt.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Here's your daily look at traffic on major highways in the Kansas City area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The charter association’s political arm has not mounted campaigns in support of anyone.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Wilson has had his most productive Premier League season by some distance, scoring 10 goals – compared to 12 across three previous top-flight campaigns with Fulham combined — and some of them have been superb, too.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drives. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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