1
as in drives
to set or keep in motion
gasoline impels a car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in compels
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impels
Verb
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The exhilaration of constant research and development is part of what drives this culinary team.—
Su-Jit Lin,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026 -
Higher demand for MBSs drives bond prices up.—
Jeff Lazerson,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One of the most powerful yet underappreciated forces in these dynamics is social identity, the psychological force that compels people to sort themselves into groups and take those group boundaries seriously.—
Justin Angle,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
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One scene involves Varang poisoning Quaritch with a mysterious hallucinatory drug that compels him to tell the truth about his motivations.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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One slightly wrong rate in a budget, procurement forecast, or loan estimate easily moves millions of dollars in the wrong direction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Honda moves forward, turning to the right.—
Devon Lum,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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WhatsApp already forces its users to upgrade their app every three months.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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That depth matters in a season bisected by the FIFA World Cup, which runs June 11-July 19 and forces MLS into a seven-week hiatus.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Your 2nd House of Resources activates as the life-giving Sun conjoins combative Mars, motivating you to polish your skills, then price your improved work fairly.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Stomach acid activates digestive enzymes, which help break down food.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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January’s energy is moving quickly for you, almost as if the universe is opening a series of doors all at once, and the Eight of Wands brings a surge of momentum that propels you into plans or conversations that had previously been stalled.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Jan. 2026
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Its midsole is made with a special foam that propels you forward, making getting to that next step a little easier.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The federal law dating back to 1967 obligates government agencies to turn over records to the public with some exceptions.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 Dec. 2025
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Treating capitalism in general, and industrialization in particular, as a political project obligates Beckert to minimize the role of technology.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Impels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impels. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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