MOVES Synonyms: 455 Similar and Opposite Words

moves 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of move

as in relocates

to change the place or position of I need you to move all your books off that chair before company gets here

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Relevance

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as in drives

to set or keep in motion the hands of the wall clock are moved by battery

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as in shifts

to change one's position don't move while I'm trying to draw your portrait

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as in influences

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response we were deeply moved by the program of patriotic music

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as in provokes

to rouse to strong feeling or action the heartfelt appeal moved the people to reach into their pockets and donate generously

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as in persuades

to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest requests the report moved me to change my mind about the issue

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as in activates

to cause to function this one button moves the whole machine

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as in exits

to leave a place often for another the police officer told the loiterers to move along

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moves

2 of 2

noun

plural of move

as in means

an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result retiring early was a smart move

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as in movements

the act or an instance of changing position don't make a move

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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 moves

Verb

As part of its process, the powered gimbal moves the image around in the general direction the projector's already facing, stopping the movement several times in the process before continuing, and adjusting the image size several times as well. — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 Flight testing moves forward L3Harris has reached the second phase of the Army’s Xtended Range Counter-sUAS Missile program. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026 Chiefs stadium project moves forward The sports authority will act as the Chiefs’ landlord in Kansas, mirroring the team’s current setup at the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026 The best-of-seven series moves back to California on Monday for Game 5. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 Their forecasts run against the same model, updated as the world moves. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 The premier beneficiary of this dynamic is Kinder Morgan, which physically moves about 40% of all natural gas consumed in the United States. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 When an oil producer changes its relationship with OPEC or signals a different output strategy, that matters because output moves freight cost, freight cost moves landed cost, and landed cost moves pricing, margin and inventory decisions. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 Other Panthers moves before Eagles Those aren’t the only moves the Panthers made Saturday. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026

Noun

The moves come even as the sector is enjoying robust profits from growing consumer spending and resilient credit. — Hugh Son, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 All dressed in the same plum two-piece set, their harmonies and coordinated dance moves honored Winehouse’s love of that era while breathing new life into the track. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 The Yankees, however, waited until after the lockout to make their biggest moves. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 Where the case goes from here The next phase of the litigation is whether Reyes grants a preliminary injunction to block the administration from taking further golf course-altering moves. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Here’s what Jeff Hafley said Wednesday about several injuries and Dolphins’ personnel moves. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 One of Lula’s first moves after taking office in January 2023 for a third, non-consecutive term was to revive the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon, known by its Portuguese acronym, PPCDAm. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Such moves both strengthen the axis countries and weaken the cohesion of the network best positioned to confront them. — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026 That gap gets more expensive as AI moves from a single chatbot to a team of agents working a task together. — Osman Koc, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moves

Verb

Desperate to rebuild her life, Maya relocates to Alaska, where she is partnered with Detective Joanna Doyle (Winnick), an accomplished officer carrying the weight of her own devastating past.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
But Resurrection is a return to form, as our genial serial killer relocates to New York after his now-adult son starts his own murder spree.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of relocates

Verb

This approach also drives innovation by ensuring new technologies address real challenges cotton growers are facing.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
And more importantly, what is this anxiety so many men feel about their emotions that drives them to torturously invent bodies that bear little resemblance to the human form?

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

Another question, says Professor Trotti at Ithaca College, is whether a public execution portrays strength or provokes horror.

— Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026
In deceptively plain diction, the hurdle of one love relationship provokes an exploration of desire and belonging.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of provokes

Verb

Fielder persuades Holmes to watch it for the first time, on a laptop in the couple’s bed.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
While posing artfully in the store’s shop window, Klara catches the eye of Josie (Mia Tharia), who persuades her mother Chrissie (Amy Adams) to buy her as a companion.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of persuades

Verb

The agency rejected the recommendation, saying that using cameras that automatically activate when an officer pulls their weapon or activates a car siren could risk privacy concerns.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
And a few are very highly specific, such as the protease that activates insulin, which only cuts near a very specific series of amino acids.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

All entrances and exits to the city remained sealed, with the operation focused in Deir Bahha and another part of the city called Al-Jalda, according to Hebron Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
In video released by police, an officer exits his vehicle and points his gun at Ryan Hinton, who appears to be running away.

— Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026