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
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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
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Recent Examples of propelled
The victory propelled them to a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
—
Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
This massive tank was propelled by two caterpillar tracks and had limited range, speed, and distance compared to other models.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026
Here, the trio sharpens its focus, marrying clever production with the soul-eating intensity that propelled its rise.
—Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
Although Artemis’ astronauts are trained to think scientifically, this experience propelled them into a state of awe.
—Deana L. Weibel, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
The deal was pure, flashy, competitive Ellison — and propelled Oracle’s shares to an all-time high.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 29 Apr. 2026
As usual, digital ads fueled by Google’s dominant search engine propelled the growth as revenue from those operations shot up 16% from last year’s first quarter.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
The song is propelled by Rodgers’s silvery guitar chatter; the lyrics swerve between party-hearty slogans and spiritual woo-woo.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The global financial landscape is evolving at a pace unseen in previous years, propelled by the adoption of new technologies and rapid innovation.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
This massive tank was propelled by two caterpillar tracks and had limited range, speed, and distance compared to other models.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026
Here, the trio sharpens its focus, marrying clever production with the soul-eating intensity that propelled its rise.
—Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
Although Artemis’ astronauts are trained to think scientifically, this experience propelled them into a state of awe.
—Deana L. Weibel, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
The deal was pure, flashy, competitive Ellison — and propelled Oracle’s shares to an all-time high.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 29 Apr. 2026
As usual, digital ads fueled by Google’s dominant search engine propelled the growth as revenue from those operations shot up 16% from last year’s first quarter.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
The song is propelled by Rodgers’s silvery guitar chatter; the lyrics swerve between party-hearty slogans and spiritual woo-woo.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The global financial landscape is evolving at a pace unseen in previous years, propelled by the adoption of new technologies and rapid innovation.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelled
Verb
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Now the edge is getting pushed yet again, as the culture transitions from the memeification of one man’s death to delighting in the real-time memes of wars.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Kurt's key takeaways Spaceflight has always pushed the limits of what is possible, but the process has remained slow for a long time.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Deborah Courtney drove more than two hours from from Jacksonville and noted that all citizen speakers expressed opposition.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his third home run of the season and drove in three runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.—
Richard J. Marcus,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The memo also alleged that a PNWSU official shoved the WGA’s outside attorney to try to block him from entering the building.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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Jennifer Moriarty said officers grabbed her by the neck, shoved her in a vehicle, and then got angry at other bystanders.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dillon Gabriel moved to a backup role as Deshaun Watson remained on the physically unable to perform list, even after the team opened his 21-day practice window in December.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2026
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Meet, also, a discreet, briefcase-toting ball-bearings salesman from Chicago, recently moved here with his wife, now that the kids are grown.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Several recent deadly and serious crashes involving popular electric scooters have thrust their safety into the spotlight.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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And later, when water levels dropped, tectonics shifted, reefs grew, and the ice age locked away the planet’s water supplies into glaciers, and new faults thrust the land skyward to dry?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Psychological and emotional wounds from early life can be activated anytime − whether while walking through Target, or just before hopping on the phone with a reporter.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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However, the report said the chief did identify himself and had lights activated on his unmarked police car.—
Kerri Corrado,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both were impelled to launch ninth-inning pushes to persuade Oscar voters that Shakespeare wasn’t really in love and Private Ryan needed serious saving.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Propelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelled. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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