1
as in moved
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 compelled
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
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Recent Examples of impelled
Single-minded and fairly humorless, Chappellet is impelled but seldom impulsive.
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
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
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impelled
Verb
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Four-time league MVP A’ja Wilson had 28 points and 14 rebounds as the Aces moved ahead 2-0 in the first best-of-7 finals in league history.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Ahead of this school year, MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius moved some central office staff to classroom teaching positions to fill vacant roles.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What compelled you to want to be more cognizant of styling?—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Kobach asked Watson to issue a court order that would have compelled Kelly and Howard to sign off on the data transfer as part of their official duties.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the 1970s, experiments by James Gould and collaborators drove a new consensus.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Oct. 2025
-
About 10 minutes later, a suspect drove onto the grass near 14 Mile and Van Dyke and struck two pedestrians before fleeing the scene.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jacksonville forced San Francisco to turn the ball over four times.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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The veteran guard has joined a new team in August in three of the last four seasons and after training camp in the fourth, she was forced to adapt to a different set of teammates and plays in a hurry.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One player wondered if the team possessed the same drive that propelled it in 2024 — if the want-to existed at the same desperate level.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The chess match continued moments later, propelled by Xaverian quarterback Will Wood.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Stefon Flowers coerced at least four women into prostitution for his financial gain over the course of three months in 2023, according to a news release from the Denver District Attorney’s Office.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
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The word describes what happens when electrons are coerced to spin in tandem, as opposed to spinning in opposite directions, which is the default state of most electrons most of the time.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ojulari, who has yet to be activated, is next in line after Okoronkwo.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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When activated, the threads tighten and contract, pulling on underlying muscles to guide movement.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Springsteen obliged, with a statement that was at once concise and powerful.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
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According to him, Dicaprio ended the long night by asking him for a drink, and Tunstall obliged with Hibiki Suntory Whisky.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impelled. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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