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
But far from the U.S. having a monopoly on production, now some 96% of rare earth minerals are sourced from China, propelling these arcane materials into center stage in the escalating trade war between the world’s top two economies.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 June 2025
Fortune is involved, yes, but premier pitching is propelling it.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 16 June 2025
The jeweler eventually turned into a full-fledged label in the 1970s thanks to Damiano Damiani, the founder’s son, who propelled its branding and started to invest in communication.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 June 2025
Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 June 2025
Fortune is involved, yes, but premier pitching is propelling it.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 16 June 2025
The jeweler eventually turned into a full-fledged label in the 1970s thanks to Damiano Damiani, the founder’s son, who propelled its branding and started to invest in communication.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 June 2025
Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propel
Verb
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Video footage from the incident showed Padilla pushed to the ground and handcuffed outside the door while attempting to speak to Noem during the conference.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
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In the middle of his testimony, Forbes published a story explaining how Weisselberg had helped Trump push the lie for years.—
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Wales have done well under Wilkinson to move away from a hardened reputation as being Fishlock’s team and become more of a sum of their parts.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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The rash traditionally starts at the hairline and moves its way down the body, according to Pan.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Mabrey again shoved Clark away from Sheldon and knocked her to the floor, and after a lengthy review, technical fouls were given to Charles, Mabrey and Clark.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
18 June 2025
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Sun guard Marina Mabrey then shoved Clark to the ground in what was a chippy affair.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
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One lectured me once, another taught me how to drive, another changed my tire, and so on.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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Blood drives at credit union The San Diego County Credit Union and the San Diego Blood Bank will host a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 30 at four locations in the county.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The characters in Eurydice do this dance between living and dying, between feeling and forgetting, throughout the play, and are thrust again and again into heartache as a result.—
Pamela Newton
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
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After an accident forces him to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom and love.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
24 June 2025
Verb
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More than 200 water spray features and water playgrounds will also be fully activated across the city by this weekend.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
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Alternative Option: Plug-In Hybrids (PHEVs) Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles combine electric-only driving (typically 20–50 miles) with a gasoline engine that activates when the battery is depleted.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Four years later, a toxic waste spill led the mine to close altogether, and intense Chinese competition impelled the decision not to reopen.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 June 2025
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The language of the play moves freely from the declamatory to the profane, with some of its funniest moments occurring when fury impels a character to unleash some naughty modern vernacular.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propel. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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