1
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion
gasoline impels a car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
I felt impelled to tell the truth, however painful it might be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Takashi Shimura beautifully portrays Kanji Watanabe, an aging bureaucrat with stomach cancer who is impelled to find meaning in his final days.
—
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 9 June 2025
The language of the play moves freely from the declamatory to the profane, with some of its funniest moments occurring when fury impels a character to unleash some naughty modern vernacular.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
There is also a wider danger that handing Vladimir Putin a victory in taking over the rich Black Sea region of Crimea will impel him to seize more sections of Ukraine in the future, and inspire other expansionist powers to launch their own wars of conquest.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
As in the current war, the aim was to split the Russian elite by impelling those afraid of sanctions to press Putin to reconsider his politics.
—Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 3 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for impel
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 9 June 2025
The language of the play moves freely from the declamatory to the profane, with some of its funniest moments occurring when fury impels a character to unleash some naughty modern vernacular.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
There is also a wider danger that handing Vladimir Putin a victory in taking over the rich Black Sea region of Crimea will impel him to seize more sections of Ukraine in the future, and inspire other expansionist powers to launch their own wars of conquest.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
As in the current war, the aim was to split the Russian elite by impelling those afraid of sanctions to press Putin to reconsider his politics.
—Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 3 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for impel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impel
Verb
-
Sylvia said fire crews had to access the scene by driving in the wrong direction from 59th Street.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Bouchard is one of the NHL’s most polarizing defensemen, but there’s no denying his elite play-driving numbers on the top pair — even in non-Connor McDavid and non-Leon Draisaitl minutes.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The rally aimed to compel Starbucks to finalize the collective bargaining contract for improved staffing, shift hours, take-home pay and on-the-job protections for its baristas.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
-
And yet, today, a few pieces of evidence are compelling us to reconsider this scenario.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
With that goal, Messi moved into first place in the Golden Boot race, one goal ahead of Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC, who is away on national team duty with Gabon.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
-
If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Lawrence attempted to go over the pile on a fourth-down snap from the 1-yard line, but Bolton greeted him there, slapping the ball away and forcing a fumble inches before the ball reached the line.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But the shot contest forced Sarr to leave the restricted area and gave Mitchell Robinson an easy path for a putback.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At the same time, Mercury and Mars are activating your sector of expansion, meaning your inner philosopher is loud.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
-
There was no official announcement from Washington that the California National Guard was being called up and sent to Oregon, just as was the case when Illinois’ governor made a similar announcement Saturday about troops in his state being activated.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The judge cited testimony from another former girlfriend, Jane, who said Combs later assaulted her and coerced her into oral sex with an escort.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Questioning earlier medical evidence that the victims suffered brain injuries, the assessment also relied on a controversial study by the National Institutes of Health that was later shut down after an internal review confirmed some patients were coerced to participate.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Nobel Committee praised their work for advancing technologies like fiber optics, cameras, and cellphones, and for helping propel efforts to build quantum computers.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The performances ultimately captured on the film’s soundtrack helped propel the Sony Pictures Animation title to the top of the all-time Netflix movie chart and turn it into a cultural juggernaut.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The threat to withhold back pay has angered federal employees, according to Axios which first reported on the memo, and prompted criticisms from both Republican and Democrat lawmakers who insist the government is legally obligated to compensate furloughed workers.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Under military law, service members are obligated to obey lawful orders, but to disobey unlawful orders.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impel. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share