1
as in pushes
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 drives
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 propels
Despite the hardships, the loving childhood environment propels young Melvin Kaminsky to break out into show business, change his name, and seek global adoration.
—
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
January’s energy is moving quickly for you, almost as if the universe is opening a series of doors all at once, and the Eight of Wands brings a surge of momentum that propels you into plans or conversations that had previously been stalled.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Jan. 2026
Its midsole is made with a special foam that propels you forward, making getting to that next step a little easier.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
The personal connection propels her mission to humanize an experience shared by a large portion (90 percent) of all people who menstruate.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
This apparatus propels projectiles to velocities reaching 8 kilometers per second, which translates to approximately 18,000 miles per hour.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
This perspective propels our story beyond biological evolution and into planetary evolution.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Dec. 2025
Mayer supplied the mighty riff that propels the tune.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
The rocket entered orbit as planned, but its first stage – the portion of the vehicle that propels it at liftoff – did not successfully return to a landing site, instead crashing down, the company said in a statement.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
January’s energy is moving quickly for you, almost as if the universe is opening a series of doors all at once, and the Eight of Wands brings a surge of momentum that propels you into plans or conversations that had previously been stalled.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Jan. 2026
Its midsole is made with a special foam that propels you forward, making getting to that next step a little easier.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
The personal connection propels her mission to humanize an experience shared by a large portion (90 percent) of all people who menstruate.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
This apparatus propels projectiles to velocities reaching 8 kilometers per second, which translates to approximately 18,000 miles per hour.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
This perspective propels our story beyond biological evolution and into planetary evolution.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Dec. 2025
Mayer supplied the mighty riff that propels the tune.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
The rocket entered orbit as planned, but its first stage – the portion of the vehicle that propels it at liftoff – did not successfully return to a landing site, instead crashing down, the company said in a statement.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
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While many Democrats opposed the compromise as the left pushes for an aggressive stance against ICE, the party isn’t united on the issue.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
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Each year, the halftime show pushes the boundaries, setting new standards in stage design, choreography, costuming and performance expertise.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike body composition metrics, BMI obscures the true extent of metabolic dysfunction and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat — or between superficial fat and the visceral fat that drives diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.—
Bret Scher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Some of what also drives Honnold is making the world a better place.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In one video Pretti appears to intervene after an agent shoves a person.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
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The same officer shoves Pretti in his chest, leading Pretti and the other protester to stumble backward.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the romantic drama (which won a special jury award for debut feature), physical therapist Audrey (Moon Choi) moves back home to help her mother recover after a car accident.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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Israel says the crossing is scheduled to open Monday as its ceasefire with Hamas moves ahead.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead of recognizing the tumor as an invader that needs to be destroyed, the brain processes the signal and activates the sympathetic nervous system, mainly known as the driver of the fight-or-flight response.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
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Warm water increases gastric volume (the amount of contents in the stomach) and activates stretch receptors in your stomach, which send signals of fullness, Dardarian adds.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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