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
Instead of massive gasoline engines, today’s Hummer pickup and SUV use gargantuan battery packs and electric motors. — Matt Degen, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Electric bicycles, in contrast, come with pedals and an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts, according to the California Highway Patrol. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
On Friday, Thomas motored his way around a double-team and sacked Seattle QB Jalen Milroe, forcing a fumble that the Seahawks recovered. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026 Owen Caissie was hit by a pitch and motored to third on Mack’s single. — August 15, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 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
  • States preparing for an imminent war prioritize military mobilization and strategic hardening; Fujian, by contrast, is being developed as a long-term engine of economic integration, innovation, and cross-Strait connectivity.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The cultural notables in the room — including painters Richard Nugent and Romare Bearden, poet Arna Bontemps and theater impresario Abram Hill — speak up for art as the Renaissance’s engine, remembering gifted colleagues no longer around.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of engine
Noun
  • The tax rate for car leases would remain at 15%, while leases for film production equipment would see their tax reduced to 11%.
    — Chris Tye, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Modern vehicles are computers on wheels, communicating with your smartphone, other cars, satellites, and cloud servers to navigate, entertain, and even drive for you.
    — Mike McRae October 20, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of car
Verb
  • Researchers have identified a new bacterial enzyme that speeds up the breakdown of polyesters and bioplastics.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Several commissioners hope First & Early could speed up the project timeline.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • Zuckerberg and Wang want Muse Wonder and the more powerful Muse Wonder Full to drive Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent, which can act on people’s behalf.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To help banish the endless procrastination, National Geographic’s 2027 list of 25 must-visit destinations for the year ahead is one of its most timely and experience-driven recommendations yet.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Blacksmith instead buys its own machines, tens of thousands of them, according to Jayaprakash, and installs them in data centers around the world.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Latest from the show floor Stern’s latest offering, Fallout, stood near the entrance of a convention floor packed with the latest machines from manufacturers like Jersey Jack, Barrels of Fun, Spooky Pinball, and others.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, was charged with second-degree felony text messaging or email automobile homicide on Tuesday for the June 12 crash in Juab County, Utah, according to documents from Juab County's Fourth District Court.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Chao was charged with text message or email automobile homicide Tuesday after the investigation into the crash was finished.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of automobile
Verb
  • While an ordinary walk might leave her mind racing toward work, looking for a particular color gave it something else to do, effectively putting all that other mental chatter on mute.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the symbols represent more than 280 years of racing history and state pride, officials say.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor

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