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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of propels
Repetition propels us towards one night in November of 1975 when everything changes, but not in the way the heroine (or the reader) was led to expect.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The new number — roughly $63 million — propels Mahomes to the top of the league’s quarterback market.
—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
They’re built with a rocker silhouette that propels your foot forward while making heel-to-toe transitions smoother.
—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
To claim, however, that Russian pressure automatically propels Armenian voters toward Europe would be naïve and analytically superficial.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
That hope is also what propels Uranowitz's Tateh.
—
ABC News,
6 June 2026
The project significantly propels forward the evolution of the downtown location — mirrored by libraries across the country — that seeks to transform what was once a place just for books into a civic hub that brings people together to both celebrate the community but also work on its challenges.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
Of course, the pivotal thing was to create an inciting incident that propels the story without clunky exposition.
—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
The difference is that a healthy Eagles offensive line propels the running game in this matchup, while the passing game takes time to find its rhythm.
—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The new number — roughly $63 million — propels Mahomes to the top of the league’s quarterback market.
—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
They’re built with a rocker silhouette that propels your foot forward while making heel-to-toe transitions smoother.
—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
To claim, however, that Russian pressure automatically propels Armenian voters toward Europe would be naïve and analytically superficial.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
That hope is also what propels Uranowitz's Tateh.
—
ABC News,
6 June 2026
The project significantly propels forward the evolution of the downtown location — mirrored by libraries across the country — that seeks to transform what was once a place just for books into a civic hub that brings people together to both celebrate the community but also work on its challenges.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
Of course, the pivotal thing was to create an inciting incident that propels the story without clunky exposition.
—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
The difference is that a healthy Eagles offensive line propels the running game in this matchup, while the passing game takes time to find its rhythm.
—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
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Meta announced its new set of smart glasses priced at $299, undercutting some of its earlier models as the company pushes to bring wearables to a broader audience.
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When an agent moves money inside a payments platform, alters a record in a hospital network or pushes code into production, the damage is harder to contain.
Verb
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What drives so many people to 1) use racial slurs, then 2) go on Love Island USA?
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This sector, focusing on vessels over 30 meters, drives manufacturing, skilled employment, and tourism.
Verb
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In the video, the officers appear to shout at the man walking near multiple vehicles before a group shoves the man toward the sidewalk.
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In a split second, Lou (Malcolm May) shoves the would-be shooter, whose gun accidentally goes off, but the bullets go in a different direction.
Verb
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If the plant moves forward to the construction stage, the expenditures will not be recovered through local electric utility customer rates or consumer bills.
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This risk decreases as the storm moves away.
Verb
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The study identified phytic acid as one trigger that activates it.
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Beliefs bump against reality as the emotional Moon activates your 9th House of Learning, quincunx combative Mars in your 4th House of Home.
Verb
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And so, our mission – grounded in both truth and love – impels us to discern the motives that shape events, and the shifts in thought that drive human progress through higher ideals of justice, mercy, and wisdom.
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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