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
Relevance
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of propels
This youthfulness, combined with an openness to innovation, propels the country’s rapid evolution.
—
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
The movie stars one of Rancho’s own, Jay Dee (frontman of Herencia de Patrones), as Chito, a young farm worker whose raw talent propels him from the fields to viral fame amid a new wave of Mexican-American music.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Given that the stock has been essentially flat since 2021, this next breakout effort could be the one that propels it decisively through prior highs — and beyond.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
The album’s debut propels eight new songs on the on Hot Latin Songs chart, which combines airplay, streaming data and digital sales into its ranking.
—Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, the electric field also propels a flow of ions across the nanopore.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, her bloodlust propels her through a liminal purgatory called Otherworld, a desert plane of reality ravaged by war, rife with innocent victims, and haunted by rootless spirits like her.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
This is the question that propels Netflix’s Wayward, an extraordinary new series from the comedian and Feel Good creator Mae Martin.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
This fifth entry, while largely revolving around the past and the origins of Treadstone — including surprising ties to Bourne’s dad (Gregg Henry) — also propels the story into contemporary technological territory.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2025
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
The movie stars one of Rancho’s own, Jay Dee (frontman of Herencia de Patrones), as Chito, a young farm worker whose raw talent propels him from the fields to viral fame amid a new wave of Mexican-American music.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Given that the stock has been essentially flat since 2021, this next breakout effort could be the one that propels it decisively through prior highs — and beyond.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
The album’s debut propels eight new songs on the on Hot Latin Songs chart, which combines airplay, streaming data and digital sales into its ranking.
—Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, the electric field also propels a flow of ions across the nanopore.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, her bloodlust propels her through a liminal purgatory called Otherworld, a desert plane of reality ravaged by war, rife with innocent victims, and haunted by rootless spirits like her.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
This is the question that propels Netflix’s Wayward, an extraordinary new series from the comedian and Feel Good creator Mae Martin.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
This fifth entry, while largely revolving around the past and the origins of Treadstone — including surprising ties to Bourne’s dad (Gregg Henry) — also propels the story into contemporary technological territory.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
-
Hazardous marine and beach conditions continue today as a cold front pushes through the area later this morning and Hurricane Melissa progresses northwards in the western Atlantic.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
-
In a state that sets the standard for music education and a region that pushes the limits of what marching bands can do, directors meticulously correct every arm angle, facial expression and the spacing between each marcher.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Surprisingly given her background, Sennott doesn’t cast herself as the online ingénue whose ascendant career drives the story.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Nasser drives a Tesla, which began rolling out its Grok AI conversational assistant feature in July 2025.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When Arthur tries to stop the stranger who has invaded his home from rifling through his drawers, Frank shoves the frail man to the ground.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Nguyen Nik Bonitto shoves the Jets' left tackle back into Justin Fields and Zach Allen crunches him from the interior on that third-down floater.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The four-meter-wide telescope can detect faint shifts in light that reveal how plasma moves through the corona, allowing scientists to see the sun in unprecedented detail.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
As such, this is a program that will be very interesting to see develop over the coming years and one that the Russian Navy's key adversaries will be watching very closely, as this weapon moves toward operational capability.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Research shows eye contact is key to satisfying social interactions and activates social parts of the brain.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Many remotes include a push-to-talk button that activates voice control only when pressed.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share