1
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion
gasoline impels a car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impel
While the recent protests were sparked by the social media ban, protesters said that they had been impelled by years of government corruption and failure to provide young people with economic opportunities.
—
Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Our faith had recklessly impelled us toward a commitment that faith alone could not sustain.
—Terry Nguyen
july 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 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
Yet firms cannot recruit workers from abroad even at the higher wage because of restrictions on immigration, so business leaders in the United States are impelled to choose machines over people and eradicate jobs through the use of technology.
—Lant Pritchett, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for impel
Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Our faith had recklessly impelled us toward a commitment that faith alone could not sustain.
—Terry Nguyen
july 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 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
Yet firms cannot recruit workers from abroad even at the higher wage because of restrictions on immigration, so business leaders in the United States are impelled to choose machines over people and eradicate jobs through the use of technology.
—Lant Pritchett, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for impel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impel
Verb
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The offer is available for dine-in and drive-thru only and is not valid through the McDonald’s app.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
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Timber, litter and understory vegetation are the main fuels driving the wildfire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Necessity compelled us to use it.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
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For that reason, too, the Grammy winner was compelled to furnish it primarily in one brand, RH, so that every bit of white oak would be the same.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Architectural Digest,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Then, at the next vehicle entrance, the city is proposing a tunnel so bike traffic can move without interacting with cars.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His rule finally came to an end in 1998 after the Asian financial crisis threw the country into economic turmoil, prompting widespread protests and forcing Suharto to resign – one of the last people power movements to sweep Southeast Asia and replace a Cold War-era autocrat with democracy.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The last of those darts was fired (initially on X) by Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, who is a resistance darling of the moment after forcing through new, Democrat-friendly congressional maps in his state last week.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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During inquiries, the ICO found 178 active email accounts using passwords identical or similar to those set by the organization’s IT desk when the account was activated.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Further complicating matters, Doe was interviewed by Phong Tran, a then-Oakland detective who has since been charged with perjury for allegedly coercing witnesses into falsely incriminating murder defendants.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
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The lawsuit accused the company of coercing customers into signing agreements that allowed the company to act as the exclusive real estate listing agent for an undisclosed period of time.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Younger voters and precincts near Charlotte’s center city helped propel the pivotal sales tax referendum on this year’s ballot to passage despite a swell of opposition in southeast Mecklenburg.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
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To state the obvious, the fans who have propelled country’s popularity aren’t voters.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Evers cannot tap unspent federal funding from pandemic aid laws because all of that money has been obligated to other recipients, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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And even less in foreign aid to Nigeria is projected for FY2025 -- roughly $550 million has been obligated for the year, though the data is incomplete.—
Mariam Khan,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impel. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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