motor 1 of 2

noun

ˈmō-tər How to pronounce motor (audio)
Definition of motornext
1
as in engine
a device that changes energy into mechanical motion the device was equipped with a small electrical motor to make the gears spin

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2
as in car
a self-propelled passenger vehicle on four wheels went shopping for a new automobile at Valley Motors

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motor

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly effortlessly motored past the other runners for a first-place finish

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drive
to travel by a motorized vehicle motoring along the highway at the speed limit

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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 motor
Noun
Tabless battery cells, a split-path battery management system and a motor vent that lets air flow through are meant to double continuous power delivery. — New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026 Contributing to that very impressive range is the new cylindrical cell battery pack, which uses a cell-to-body approach that maximizes energy density, along with the aforementioned new sixth-gen motors. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
Owen Caissie was hit by a pitch and motored to third on Mack’s single. — August 15, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026 Yoshida began the top of the 10th as the automatic runner on second, but immediately motored to third on a first-pitch sacrifice bunt by Wong and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Seigler. — Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for motor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motor
  1. engine
  2. car
  3. speed
  4. drive
  5. machine
  6. automobile
  7. race
  8. tool
Noun
  • The tight loop between capital, asset issuing, and auction-as-legitimizing-engine echoed Polymarket’s recursive news-and-market-making cycle.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Many helicopters are equipped with video and audio recording devices that capture everything inside, as well as flight and engine data recorders.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of engine
Noun
  • It is achieved through a repertoire of authoritative positions and movements that compel individuals, crowds, and cars to move or to hold still.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Meyer wound up allegedly misappropriating about $570,000, including $100,000 for a personal investment in an exotic-car company and $220,000 sent to his personal bank account.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of car
Verb
  • The eye-popping money will help to speed up construction, with groundbreaking set to start next year and the first Miami students beginning their studies in 2028.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Directed by Mert Alas, the cinematic visual opens on a desert road flanked by mountains, a car speeds through, which is later revealed to be driven by Miley.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • The nation's flood insurance program struggles to balance affordability, flood protection and cost to taxpayers, leaving millions vulnerable at a time when climate change is driving flood risk higher.
    — MICHAEL PHILLIS, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • These, then collided with boron nuclei and helped drive the fusion reaction rate beyond 100 million reactions per second.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Guest rooms, which expand into the adjacent high-rise, are filled with luxe touches, like Harman Kardon Bluetooth speakers, Nespresso machines, and Balmain or Atkinsons toiletries.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The machine-washable sneakers have a soft, suede-like finish and bouncy foam insoles for extra cushioning.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Since the modern torch relay tradition began in 1936, the flame has burned underwater (Sydney 2000) and in space (Atlanta 1996) and traveled by plane, train, automobile, boat, pony and even camel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The area suffered thousands of manufacturing job losses as the automobile industry collapsed and jobs were sent overseas.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of automobile
Verb
  • All the prep, all the focus, all the pressure of racing in the Cup Series is done.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • As pre-production raced along, Klein worked with multiple collaborators on the songs and the pre-records the actors would lip-sync to.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • One of the industry’s biggest challenges is tooling, as manufacturers must design, fabricate, and qualify physical dies and molds before production can begin.
    — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Hig spends his days tooling around in an old Cessna, looking for supplies, survivors or signs of life, trying to stay ahead of scavengers known as Reapers, when he is drawn outside the perimeter and finds Cima (Margaret Qualley).
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 30 July 2026
Definition of tool

Phrases Containing motor

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motleys
motor
motorboat
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Cite this Entry

“Motor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motor. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor

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