Synonym Chooser

How does the verb impel differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of impel are actuate, drive, and move. While all these words mean "to set or keep in motion," impel is usually figurative and suggests a great motivating impetus.

a candidate impelled by ambition

When is it sensible to use actuate instead of impel?

The synonyms actuate and impel are sometimes interchangeable, but actuate stresses transmission of power so as to work or set in motion.

turbines actuated by waterpower

When is drive a more appropriate choice than impel?

Although the words drive and impel have much in common, drive implies imparting forward and continuous motion and often stresses the effect rather than the impetus.

a ship driven aground by hurricane winds

When would move be a good substitute for impel?

The words move and impel can be used in similar contexts, but move is very general and implies no more than the fact of changing position.

moved the furniture

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 impel Wayne Cornelius, an immigration scholar at the University of California, San Diego, has found that bleak job prospects are most likely to impel undocumented immigrants to leave. Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 That didn’t impel the NFL to change the overtime rule, which at the time said a game ends if a team scores a touchdown in the extra period. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2025 Without doing so, the city risks adding to the recent record of downgrades from the ratings agencies and impels that any new infrastructure debt minimizes additional costs over the long run. Dana Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025 Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, who once famously tried to shatter those bounds, later came to recognize what impelled Ali. Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impel
Verb
  • The Ontario Home Builders’ Association warned last month that tariffs and counter-tariffs on steel and aluminum products would likely drive up the costs of construction materials, making building and buying new homes more expensive, worsening the housing affordability issue.
    Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The study found a 6% annual decline, driven by poaching, habitat loss and weak law enforcement.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Trump administration is now compelled to restore the budget.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Ambitious goals compel the team to think differently, encouraging boldness, innovation and smarter risk-taking.
    Ryan Brinkhurst, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Golden eagles will forage during migration flights and use this uplift from heated air, which also comes from open landscapes, to move efficiently during migration and seasonal movements.
    Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Martinez moves well enough laterally to make defenders miss and bounce outside.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Five years after the pandemic forced children into remote instruction, two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders still cannot read at grade level.
    K. Dara Hill, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Such environments can force the plane downward, disrupt its ability to climb, or reduce lift on the wings, according to aviation experts.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Blue Jays outfielder’s incredible play came just hours after Toronto activated him off the injured list to make his season debut.
    Jenna West, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
  • High quality incense can span a wide range of notes, often activated in inventive ways through the burning process.
    Lauren Arzbaecher, Architectural Digest, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The administration is threatening to withhold federal money from universities as a way to coerce many of them to comply with administration policies in ways that implicate free speech and in some instances violate legal processes for the withholding of federal support.
    Daniel Hall, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Its alliances were coerced, its innovations lagged behind, and its industrial system collapsed under its own contradictions.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The baseball traveled 375 feet and propelled the Tigers to a 3-1 victory.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Though often criticized and not without frequent failures, the company’s resilience and experimentation have propelled major advancements in electric vehicles and renewable energy.
    Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • We are obligated not only to seek justice for ourselves, but also to protect the rights and freedoms afforded to all people.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
  • One caution: a pre-listing inspection obligates the seller to disclose or repair deficiencies.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Impel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impel. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on impel

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