PROPELS Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

propels

verb

present tense third-person singular of propel

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

Relevance

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of propels That’s not to say the government needs proof to exercise autonomy over what to do with our bodies, but perhaps there was a more nefarious plot at play when the ban that propels One Night Only came into being. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 While scoping out the attraction, the little fox ended up slipping into the waterway that propels the ride, leaving the animal treading water while rafts full of concerned parkgoers passed by. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 Highlights will include the world’s first upside-down launch, a final launch that propels the train to 100 mph, and a thrilling 180-degree bank spiral that offers breathtaking views of the park below. — Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026 And the guilt, shame and social stigma surrounding these crimes compounds the loneliness that propels so many victims into scams in the first place. — Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026 Relentless, seething power propels you down the strip faster than your body and brain can cope with. — New Atlas, 13 July 2026 Then she is shuffled back to Korea, and this disjunction is the thing that propels her narrative development. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 The system uses the firm’s Prometheus electromagnetic accelerator that propels test materials through simulated weather. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026 The ship’s engine propels it when wind conditions are poor, giving the crew more control over its port schedule. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels

Verb

Advertisement As the industry pushes to make AI build itself, a debate has opened over what that will do to the pace of progress.

— Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
That timeline pushes back estimates from earlier public statements.

— Ryan J. Foley, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

Under the proposal, a commuter who drives on I-90 from Barrington to work downtown and back 50 weeks a year would be charged $950 in 2027, up from $600 this year.

— Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
That Treasury bond specifically drives the direction of consumer lending rates, such as for mortgages, credit cards and personal loans.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

The video shows Ron Thompson appear to swing at Thompson, and Stephanie Daniels shoves her.

— Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 9 July 2026
Here in the famous Festival Theatre, the sprite Ariel, played in splendidly sprightly fashion by Marissa Orjalo, opens up the top of a piano, a piece of island flotsam and Prospero, in the form of the veteran actor Geraint Wyn Davies, shoves his coat inside, throws up his hands and closes the lid.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026

Definition of shoves

Verb

Pitch a idea for a team huddle, and let your expressive style set a cooperative tone that moves decisions forward.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026
The judge’s order paused the rollout of the surcharge on high-value second homes in the city while a lawsuit brought by a group of homeowners moves forward.

— Katherine Koretski, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of moves

Verb

Founded by Gracia Walker and Benjamin Silver, Broc Shot centers on sulforaphane, a compound derived from broccoli seed that activates the NRF2 pathway, part of the body’s natural defense system.

— Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
Pinching and holding both buds at the same time activates a new Audio Snapshot mode that records phone call audio or incoming sound and syncs it to the Nothing X app.

— Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026