1
as in to push
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
playfully he propelled his rambunctious friend into the swimming pool to cool off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to move
to set or keep in motion
the aircraft is propelled by a pair of turboprop engines
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of propel
Those observations have suggested that in dense, young star clusters, complex gravitational interactions — particularly close encounters between three or more stars — can propel some stars with enough velocity to force them out of their natal homes and into nearby space.
—
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 9 May 2025
Inflation is still moderately above the Fed’s 2% goal, with Trump’s import duties set to propel prices higher.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 8 May 2025
Roku is making a significant acquisition that will propel it further in the content space.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2025
Hybrids—defined as vehicles that are propelled by both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine or other power source (which would include fuel cell EVs)—will pay $100.
—ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 9 May 2025
Inflation is still moderately above the Fed’s 2% goal, with Trump’s import duties set to propel prices higher.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 8 May 2025
Roku is making a significant acquisition that will propel it further in the content space.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2025
Hybrids—defined as vehicles that are propelled by both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine or other power source (which would include fuel cell EVs)—will pay $100.
—ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propel
Verb
-
That is a false narrative that Republicans have been pushing for years now.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
The band manages to push a number of tunes back onto different lists, scoring multiple bestsellers long after most music fron the rockers was released.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
If the execution moves forward this time, Smith will be the first inmate executed in Tennessee since 2020 and the 19th in the U.S. this year.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
-
This can block food and stool moving through the intestine, causing constipation.—
Kelly Burch,
Verywell Health,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
Ripley shoved Giulia into a diving Roxanne, opening the door for Rhea to hit a Riptide on Giulia for the win.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
-
Technicals were assessed to Hunter and to Indiana’s Myles Turner, who shoved Hunter after Hunter pushed Mathurin to the ground.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Verb
-
About 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated from an elementary school in Maryland after hours of heavy rains driven by an atmospheric river caused major flooding in multiple eastern states.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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Kane was synonymous with Tottenham and had spent nine years driving the team forward with mountains of goals and assists.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Verb
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But their happy romance is soon demolished when Jenny reappears in their lives, thrusting all three into a difficult and messy journey towards true accountability and adulthood.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
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President Trump thrust the spotlight onto comedian Theo Von while in Qatar on Thursday, one day after news the podcaster recently assaulted a man at a Nashville bar.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2025
Verb
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The Reds traded for Connor Joe from the San Diego Padres before the game, and he was activated the next day.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
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Burn bans are automatically activated by Florida counties whenever the Keetch-Byram Drought Index — a scale that measures the dryness of the soil — reaches or exceeds 500.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Questlove joins the latest edition of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to share his observations on what made Sly Stone great and what impelled him to tumble from the mountaintop of rock stardom.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2025
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Steven Pifer, a former American ambassador to Ukraine and one of the top nuclear proliferation experts in the U.S., says Zelensky likely aimed to impel NATO to open membership to Ukraine rather than actually start a clandestine atomic weapons program.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propel. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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