IMPELS Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

impels

verb

present tense third-person singular of impel

as in drives

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

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as in compels

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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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 impels And so, our mission – grounded in both truth and love – impels us to discern the motives that shape events, and the shifts in thought that drive human progress through higher ideals of justice, mercy, and wisdom. — Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Mar. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impels

Verb

Desalination is becoming increasingly popular, especially as the climate crisis drives more severe heat and drought, undermining water security.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Rattled by the mystery of the bull, Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min), the bumbling, trigger-happy police chief of Hope Harbor, drives back into town and is confronted with a disaster zone.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

My banter with Cormac focuses on the institute, what compels him to be here.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
The deal compels Facebook and Instagram to adopt new child-safety rules, including daily time caps, school-hour notification bans, stronger age checks and expanded parental controls aimed at harmful content.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

Colorado moves way up to one spot ahead of Georgia Tech after blocking the final field goal for the road win over the Yellow Jackets.

— Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Buoyed by her leadership of the multi-billion-dollar expansion project last decade, Espino moves up from deputy administrator to take full command of the canal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of moves

Verb

Handwriting is slower than typing, which forces people to summarize and rephrase a teacher or coach’s point in their own words.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
The case forces a prime minister to resign Fenech was involved in a consortium that won a controversial contract with the Maltese government to build a power station.

— Kevin Schembri Orland, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of forces

Verb

However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025

Definition of coerces

Verb

The main thing that propels Jordan Brand’s retro business is the unique look of its classic sneakers, many of which introduced industry-first designs.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
This springy, responsive shoe propels your feet forward with every step, making long jogs and quick sprints feel more effortless.

— Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of propels

Verb

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 obligates Washington to measure and reduce regulatory burdens.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Zeus’s Law obligates Telemachus and Odysseus’s wife Penelope to host the suitors who hope to marry her in Odysseus’s absence.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026

Definition of obligates

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impelling

impels

impend

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“Impels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impels. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of impels

verb

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