1
as in pushed
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
Relevance
2
as in drove
to set or keep in motion
the aircraft is propelled by a pair of turboprop engines
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 propelled
Just as momentum has propelled them to fourth, so a shift could dampen spirits and rein in any talk of a comfortable season.
—
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
South Korea’s remarkable cultural ascendancy has been propelled as much by Korean barbecue and kimchi as by K-pop and K-dramas.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Steeped in modern Japanese history without explicating it, director Sang-il Lee’s feature is propelled by operatic intensity and visual poetry.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Nvidia's shares have climbed 12-fold as the AI frenzy propelled the S&P 500 to record highs, igniting a debate on whether frothy tech valuations could lead to the next big bubble.
—Niket Nishant, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
That imminent expiration propelled Democrats to block a stopgap funding bill that didn’t revive the subsidies, shutting down the government.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The job market weakness has propelled growth and technology stocks that are less dependent on labor supply than manufacturing, construction, and transportation industries which have generally underperformed the broad market.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Watching Rome, Shiv, and Ken attempt to battle, scrape, and betray their way into their father’s heart—and, conversely, seeing Logan withhold, meter out, and blaspheme his version of love back at them—propelled Succession through four glorious seasons.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
Unprecedented demand for the company’s AI chips has propelled the company’s market valuation into the stratosphere.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
South Korea’s remarkable cultural ascendancy has been propelled as much by Korean barbecue and kimchi as by K-pop and K-dramas.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Steeped in modern Japanese history without explicating it, director Sang-il Lee’s feature is propelled by operatic intensity and visual poetry.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Nvidia's shares have climbed 12-fold as the AI frenzy propelled the S&P 500 to record highs, igniting a debate on whether frothy tech valuations could lead to the next big bubble.
—Niket Nishant, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
That imminent expiration propelled Democrats to block a stopgap funding bill that didn’t revive the subsidies, shutting down the government.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The job market weakness has propelled growth and technology stocks that are less dependent on labor supply than manufacturing, construction, and transportation industries which have generally underperformed the broad market.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Watching Rome, Shiv, and Ken attempt to battle, scrape, and betray their way into their father’s heart—and, conversely, seeing Logan withhold, meter out, and blaspheme his version of love back at them—propelled Succession through four glorious seasons.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
Unprecedented demand for the company’s AI chips has propelled the company’s market valuation into the stratosphere.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelled
Verb
-
Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 and subsequent need for military support from Germany pushed Italy into a closer alliance with Hitler that, in turn, led to the imposition of anti-Jewish legislation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Offered only via the David’s Bridal site, the archival White by Vera Wang archival collection is being pushed out to shoppers via the retailer’s social media, site and email newsletters among other avenues.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was said to have intentionally drove into bicycle lanes to strike some of the cyclists, said Christophe Sueur, the mayor of Saint-Pierre d'Oleron.—
Tom Soufi Burridge,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Periodically, one or two cars drove up for a box of food, but otherwise, all was quiet.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Other visitors have reported hearing coughing from the TB cabins, or being shoved even though no one was near.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
-
That’s when one volunteer from Compañeros was shoved by an ICE agent, Orozco-Perez said.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On an 0-2 pitch, Roberts moved the infield back to double play depth.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The depth chart got even thinner when Jaishawn Barham, who moved back to inside linebacker after playing on the edge in recent weeks, left the game in the first quarter with an injury.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The incident came after a tense year for Harvard students, teachers and staff who were thrust into the national spotlight amid the White House’s push to reshape higher education.—
Michelle Watson,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
From product recalls to workplace discrimination, to customer mistreatment scandals, CEOs are often thrust into the spotlight and forced to apologize.—
Prachi Gala,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
National Guard troops have been staging at Portland training bases for weeks while the legal case plays out, having been activated to protect federal officials and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that has been the focal point of daily protests since June.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The president additionally activated the District of Columbia National Guard in August for law enforcement activities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Daniel’s commercial failure as a novelist impelled him to move to Los Angeles to try writing for the movies.—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
-
While the recent protests were sparked by the social media ban, protesters said that they had been impelled by years of government corruption and failure to provide young people with economic opportunities.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelled. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share