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
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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
-
The side of the other foot then pushes the ball away before the outside of the same foot snaps it back in the other direction.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Abby is the least judgmental of the people in his circle, but Eddie pushes her away, compounding his isolation.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Fragrance expert Aimee Majoros, author of Aimee Is Beauty, told Real Simple that packaging quietly drives a lot of the markup.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
In one scene, the crew drives into Yosemite, where towering granite walls and sweeping vistas leave most visitors speechless.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
-
Alas, Shao Khan smashes Cole’s head with a hammer, Gallagher style, and shoves his body into a vat of acid.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2026
-
Al Weaver, a frequent British television actor, plays Leonard Finch, a curate who moves to Grantchester to assist James Norton’s vicar character Sidney Chambers.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Work by Joseph Kable at the University of Pennsylvania identified a pathway known as the default mode network (DMN) that activates when people are asked to do nothing.—
Dr. Deepika Chopra,
Flow Space,
16 June 2026
-
Creative courage blends with self-trust as loving Venus activates your 5th House of Creativity and trines imaginative Neptune in your 1st House of Identity.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Christa Case Bryant,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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