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

Colorado moves way up to one spot ahead of Georgia Tech after blocking the final field goal for the road win over the Yellow Jackets. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Buoyed by her leadership of the multi-billion-dollar expansion project last decade, Espino moves up from deputy administrator to take full command of the canal. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 The 2026 phase moves the program toward full integration of the AUR. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 This shimmering, sonorous work, from one of our greatest living directors, moves through the peculiar landscapes of human interaction with certainty, eccentricity and grace, alighting on a generous if rueful conclusion. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026 As the tone moves toward horror, though, the decision to make the host the story quickly stops paying dividends. — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Rene Mantilla, an assistant superintendent over the office of post-secondary, career and technical education, moves into a principal role. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026 Critics questioned the movie’s unusual blend of genres, which moves from romance and comedy to drama and supernatural fantasy. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 Areas farther east could see greater impacts if the center moves toward the Sabine Pass area, as some forecast guidance currently suggests. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

But in an era when only six of the 20 teams spent under £100million this summer, those bargain-basement deals have given way to big-money moves. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 That was the year, after going all-in with blockbuster moves before and late in the season, the Rams won Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The timing is particularly significant for Finland as its first F-35As are due to arrive just as the country’s domestic F135 engine capability moves from preparation into production. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 Leigh doesn’t make any wrong moves here; just about every scene in the movie plays. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 Those moves came amid a broader run-up in global bond yields , spurred in part by growing inflation fears as energy rises remain elevated from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 The soft, stretchy fabric moves with you across terminals without bunching or binding, and because the top and bottom are already matched, getting dressed at the crack of dawn requires zero thought. — Jill Layton, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026 By September, cooler air moves across Lake Superior, local breweries begin pouring their autumn releases, and early color starts showing in the forests surrounding Marquette. — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 As roster moves are announced throughout the weekend, stay tuned for announcements. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moves

Verb

Sleepless in Seattle follows widower Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks), who relocates to Seattle with his young son Jonah (Ross Malinger).

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Sep. 2026
Rather than killing the snakes found on its property, Cat Haven relocates them to areas farther from the cats, according to Anderson.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of relocates

Verb

Desalination is becoming increasingly popular, especially as the climate crisis drives more severe heat and drought, undermining water security.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Rattled by the mystery of the bull, Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min), the bumbling, trigger-happy police chief of Hope Harbor, drives back into town and is confronted with a disaster zone.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

The development provokes a leadership shake-up on both committees, prompting speculation on who will fill the spots when the next Congress opens in January.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2026
The rooms were part of Kusama’s ongoing exploration of self-obliteration and her career-long ambition to create work that provokes a keen awareness of both one’s individual insignificance and place in the wider cosmic system.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of provokes

Verb

The eight-episode series, written by Peter Ocko, follows a giant tech conglomerate that persuades the city to place a powerful robot on its police force – a robot implanted with the consciousness of a beloved fallen officer, Alex Murphy (Stevens).

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Nia then persuades Tefa to join her in smuggling cell phones into the regional prison.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026