1
as in pushing
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 driving
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 propelling
Jack Barry set up Gavin Furness for an overtime winner, propelling Reading (16-2-2) to the Buddy Ferreira Classic championship game with a 2-1 win over Hingham.
—
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
Rising worries over crime are upending Latin American politics, propelling rightist candidates to the top of polls across the region.
—semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
On a structural level, many universities have policies to maintain continuity of activities in the event of major emergencies and natural disasters, with the Covid-19 pandemic propelling creation of new policies.
—David Seal, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
After propelling Milan to the top of Serie A, and announcing himself as a bonafide star, injuries, yet again, have interrupted his desire and talent.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
That part of the narrative involves her central role in propelling her proteges, Kim Foxx and Brandon Johnson, into positions of power in Cook County and Chicago.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
The automotive press went wild, and so did many consumers, propelling Tesla’s legend to new heights following the uneven release of the Tesla Roadster.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2026
Sony Pictures Entertainment Far from being wiped out after the meme stock boom faded, retail investors have continued to deploy capital — propelling retail flows to fresh records in 2025, according to JPMorgan.
—Yun Li,kate Rooney,alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Powerful winds from the star's disk act like a cosmic conveyor belt, propelling the crystals into the frigid outer disk, where comets may eventually form, according to a statement from NASA.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
Rising worries over crime are upending Latin American politics, propelling rightist candidates to the top of polls across the region.
—semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
On a structural level, many universities have policies to maintain continuity of activities in the event of major emergencies and natural disasters, with the Covid-19 pandemic propelling creation of new policies.
—David Seal, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
After propelling Milan to the top of Serie A, and announcing himself as a bonafide star, injuries, yet again, have interrupted his desire and talent.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
That part of the narrative involves her central role in propelling her proteges, Kim Foxx and Brandon Johnson, into positions of power in Cook County and Chicago.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
The automotive press went wild, and so did many consumers, propelling Tesla’s legend to new heights following the uneven release of the Tesla Roadster.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2026
Sony Pictures Entertainment Far from being wiped out after the meme stock boom faded, retail investors have continued to deploy capital — propelling retail flows to fresh records in 2025, according to JPMorgan.
—Yun Li,kate Rooney,alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Powerful winds from the star's disk act like a cosmic conveyor belt, propelling the crystals into the frigid outer disk, where comets may eventually form, according to a statement from NASA.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelling
Verb
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During ultra-fast impacts, the metal’s atoms oscillate so vigorously that these physically obstruct the path of deformation, pushing back against the incoming force.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Just as the Dow Jones Industrial Average neared the 50,000 milestone in early January, a producer called to interview me about what was pushing stocks higher.—
Jill Schlesinger,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Thought about driving a race car.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In addition to the effects of the pandemic and tariffs, climate issues — drought in Vietnam, heavy rain in Indonesia, and hot, dry weather in Brazil — are blamed for reducing yields of coffee crops and driving up global prices.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood on the Saturday before Halloween, officers arrested a man and triggered a chain of events that ended with them shoving a father in a yellow duck costume to the ground and breaking the ribs of a 67-year-old resident.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
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Coaches, referees and security tried to break up the pushing and shoving from both sides.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rescuers used earth-moving equipment to retrieve the bodies, according to Ednar Dayanghirang, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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Mesh ventilation at the front and back allows airflow to circulate, which comes in handy when moving between cold cabins and warmer terminals.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko and troupe member Marcquet Hill sashayed their way onto Tuesday's episode of the long-running CBS soap as a couple of hip-thrusting bachelorette party dancers.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Feb. 2026
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But its panting, thrusting allure dimmed over time.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Your attitude in activating the protocol is an example of courage and dignity.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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For Theory’s fall collection, the designer is activating the old New York nostalgia that solidified the ’90s.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelling. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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