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
In a way, the relationship between Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Bucky (his sidekick) propels the entire MCU.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
The victory propels him inside the top 25.
—CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
The victory propels him inside the top 25.
—Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
Ilia Malinin’s dominant free skate propels the United States to its second consecutive team figure skating gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Rocking technology built directly into the insoles propels you forward with every step, and Vibram outsoles offer excellent grip on both trail and street terrain.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Spencer Platt | Getty Images Starbucks on Wednesday reported mixed quarterly results as the company's turnaround propels traffic growth for the first time in two years but weighs on its bottom line.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
The victory propels him inside the top 25.
—CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
The victory propels him inside the top 25.
—Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
Ilia Malinin’s dominant free skate propels the United States to its second consecutive team figure skating gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Rocking technology built directly into the insoles propels you forward with every step, and Vibram outsoles offer excellent grip on both trail and street terrain.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Spencer Platt | Getty Images Starbucks on Wednesday reported mixed quarterly results as the company's turnaround propels traffic growth for the first time in two years but weighs on its bottom line.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
-
Nayara Tented Camp pushes this forward by creating a sanctuary for sloths out of the reforestation of hundreds of native trees, to grow alongside habitats for native frogs, birds, and armadillos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
London’s mayor pushes to pedestrianize city London’s mayor pushed ahead with plans to pedestrianize the city’s most famous shopping street, part of a global move toward banning cars from parts of big cities.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The solid dramatic framework that Gyllenhaal establishes drives events onward with relentless force, and her film is devilishly clever in its fusion of gothic horror and film-noir tropes.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Most of the time, the engine drives a generator while the battery absorbs and delivers power.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Levi shoves someone just out of the frame, demands to know who threw stones, and later fires a shot, seemingly away from the crowd.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The agent shoves the observer again, and then turns his attention to Pretti, pushing him out of the way before shoving the observer to the ground.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Often the company moves as one organic mass, a school of fish or flock of birds.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
-
On a February Los Angeles morning, Gyllenhaal moves briskly across the lobby of a low-key-chic hotel, barely breaking stride to ask that, instead of a discreet celeb-friendly indoor corner table, perhaps our interview could take place on an outdoor patio.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Within ComPair’s ‘HealTech’ material, a healing agent activates at higher temperatures.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The designation, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, activates authorities created under an executive order signed in September that expanded the government's ability to penalize countries accused of detaining Americans for political bargaining power.—
Camilla Schick,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
