IMPELLED Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

impelled

verb

past tense of impel

as in drove

to set or keep in motion gasoline impels a car's engine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in compelled

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

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 impelled Sometimes the ideological passions that impelled a work into existence dissolve over time, leaving behind something that can be appreciated as art. — Vivian Yee, New York Times, 20 June 2026 That emotional closeness was one of the driving forces that impelled me to bring this project to the screen in an exercise of deep respect for a complex memory that does not lend itself to simplification. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 19 June 2026 Both were impelled to launch ninth-inning pushes to persuade Oscar voters that Shakespeare wasn’t really in love and Private Ryan needed serious saving. — Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026 Daniel’s commercial failure as a novelist impelled him to move to Los Angeles to try writing for the movies. — David Kamp, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 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 While Elijah had consistently depended on God up to that point, great fear impelled him to run far into the wilderness. — Cheryl Ranson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impelled

Verb

But the Seoul High Court ruled that the shares should be valued at the date that the appellate court concluded its hearing in 2024, before AI drove prices up fivefold.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Garcia drove into Elk Grove, where he was chased by multiple law enforcement patrol cars and helicopters, according to the DA’s Office.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of drove

Verb

The prospect of lining up next to one of his few contemporary peers compelled the now-35-year-old Donald to begin an extensive workout program aimed at returning him to football shape.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
That’s true insofar as many other events Bank of America Stadium has compelled as of late — including the MLS All-Star Game, which will take place at the uptown venue next week.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026

Definition of compelled

Verb

Johnson was born in southern California and grew up in Omaha after her family moved there.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
The charge, which has since been dropped, was related to a dispute Dillon had with her former neighbors who had since moved and did not pursue the case, her lawsuit said.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Definition of moved

Verb

In central Spain, 60,000 were forced from their homes, according to the Spanish interior ministry.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Paramount could be forced to sell off the WB television production business, but that isn’t worth nearly as much without the studio and the connected library of titles and IP.

— Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of forced

Verb

As usual, digital ads fueled by Google’s dominant search engine propelled the quarter's revenue growth, boosted by World Cup advertising, especially on YouTube.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
School closures have spiked 35 percent across the country over the past four years, propelled by a shrinking youth population and the end of covid-19 relief funds that had propped up education funding in some places.

— Todd Wallack, Washington Post, 20 July 2026

Definition of propelled

Verb

Some innocents are coerced into false confessions, like what happened to the Central Park Five.

— Rene Denfeld, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Sinon grows up as a young man off at war that is coerced by Odysseus to sacrifice themself at the hand of the Trojans, while convincing them into accepting the wooden horse as a gift.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of coerced

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“Impelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impelled. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of impelled

verb

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