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
The project, Whitney Houston in Focus is based on Bette Marshall’s photography book about Houston’s life before her career propelled her to superstardom with Clive Davis.
—
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 4 June 2025
Unfortunately for Jones, the hope was misplaced, at least on Tuesday, as an offensive outburst in the sixth and seventh innings propelled the Twins (33-27) to a 10-3 win over the A’s, whose recent stretch is the worst for the franchise in decades.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2025
Experts say Airbus’ A321neo narrow-body aircraft is propelling the company ahead of Boeing, which has been dealing with crisis after crisis over the past several years.
—Erin Black, CNBC, 3 June 2025
Each of these sentiments points to the rich, fertile space that exists at the margins—of the body, of language, of the photograph—while also emphasizing the creative potentialities of touch, the action that propels these often porous edges to meet.
—Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 4 June 2025
Unfortunately for Jones, the hope was misplaced, at least on Tuesday, as an offensive outburst in the sixth and seventh innings propelled the Twins (33-27) to a 10-3 win over the A’s, whose recent stretch is the worst for the franchise in decades.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2025
Experts say Airbus’ A321neo narrow-body aircraft is propelling the company ahead of Boeing, which has been dealing with crisis after crisis over the past several years.
—Erin Black, CNBC, 3 June 2025
Each of these sentiments points to the rich, fertile space that exists at the margins—of the body, of language, of the photograph—while also emphasizing the creative potentialities of touch, the action that propels these often porous edges to meet.
—Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propel
Verb
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This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
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After retiring the Hurricanes in order, Louisville added to its lead in the fourth as Jake Munroe belted a solo home run to left, pushing the Cardinals’ advantage to 4-1.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2025
Verb
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And imagine also having to move all of that gear internationally?—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
2 June 2025
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The two new fire stations, plus the new fire department headquarters that is set to hold a relocated Fire Station 4, are being moved at the recommendation of a 2021 plan that looked to lower emergency response times.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Verb
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As the sidelines cleared and the entire team rushed the field, though, Hudson took the opportunity to charge back into the fray and shove Thibodeaux in defense of Eluemunor.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
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McDavid shook off two periods where the Panthers shoved him to the outside and contained his electric game.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Goldstein drove Boozer home with a sacrifice fly and Corral plated the go-ahead run with a single through the right side.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2025
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And two-thirds of households with an EV have another non-EV that is driven more — hardly a recipe for climate success given that EVs must be driven (a lot) to deliver climate benefits.—
Ashley Nunes,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Scott Morrow had a solid first professional season in the AHL but looked overwhelmed at times when thrust into the NHL playoffs.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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Almost everyone has had nightmares of garish failure when thrust upon the big stage of their own career.—
Michael Peregrine,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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In other words, for reasons still not fully understood, the robot’s yawn may have activated a biological response in the chimpanzees that led them to associate the gesture with sleep or rest.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
5 June 2025
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None of them had their body cameras activated, a violation of department policy.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Verb
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But the 1933 Cuban Revolution impelled his family’s flight from the island, dashing Desi’s hopes of a legal career.—
Julia M. Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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To do that, SoFi must be among the small number of public companies that continues to provide upbeat forecasts – as tariff uncertainty impels many public companies to stop offering guidance.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propel. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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