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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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 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

Asked what drives her through trying times, Penso points to her three daughters, the eldest of whom is 12.

— Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Usage that drives new revenue, creates differentiated customer experiences, or builds proprietary capabilities is a growth investment.

— Paul Keary, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

Every drop hits like a quake, and each muscular beat compels you to shake your ass.

— Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026
Further, since a charging order compels an LLC to re-direct distribution payments to the creditor, the appeals court further mused that such was enough to create standing since the LLCs needed to know who to pay.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

The financing is assembled, the logic of the deal does not decay, and every quarter that resembles the last one moves shareholders toward the bidders' side of the table.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Monsoon storms continue in the Southwest The Southwest will continue to see daily chances for thunderstorms as monsoon moisture moves across the region.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 27 July 2026

Definition of moves

Verb

Rocca forces the playoff by sinking a 65-foot putt on the 18th hole.

— Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
No one forces us to perform the role, the financial rewards for those who make the international list are considerable, and for the most part the enjoyment found on the field makes up for the plentiful aggro off it.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of forces

Verb

All is saved, until Kripke kills Raj — and the device then activates, taking Stuart, Bert and Kripke to another universe.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 24 July 2026
What most people read as refusal is closer to a defense mechanism the mind adopted long before this particular disagreement started, one that activates faster than any deliberate choice could.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of activates

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

And the guilt, shame and social stigma surrounding these crimes compounds the loneliness that propels so many victims into scams in the first place.

— Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Relentless, seething power propels you down the strip faster than your body and brain can cope with.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026

Definition of propels

Verb

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
The Montreux Convention obligates Turkey to allow commercial ships freedom of passage, but allows the country to charge for some specific things, including sanitary, pilotage, towage and lighthouse services.

— Joanne Stocker, CBS News, 1 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 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of impels

verb

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