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

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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 The main thing that propels Jordan Brand’s retro business is the unique look of its classic sneakers, many of which introduced industry-first designs. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 This springy, responsive shoe propels your feet forward with every step, making long jogs and quick sprints feel more effortless. — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026 His attempt to discover what he is supposed to be doing propels him through a succession of increasingly strange encounters, as his search for purpose becomes entangled with his desire for love, friendship and some kind of place in the world. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 This is partly what propels his mole demi-glace, a convergence of inspirations realized in a duck and smoked chicken stock sharpened by the foundational components of mole. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 More importantly, part of what propels the narrative in the book is Bret being the only one of his friends to see a dark side to Robert. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026 In fact, sometimes the name is what propels us toward development in the first place. — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026 Brands should get in before this propels the actor even further into the mainstream. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026 This code motivates us and propels us toward our own personal growth cycles. — Sharon Daniels, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels

Verb

Saudia Cargo will double its fleet, adding four Boeing 777-200F jets over more than two years, as Saudi Arabia pushes to become a logistics hub linking three continents.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
When a power user pushes for an extensive, long-form synthesis, the system's optimization guardrails actively fight the input to keep token generation low, sacrificing depth to protect processing margins.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

Desalination is becoming increasingly popular, especially as the climate crisis drives more severe heat and drought, undermining water security.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Rattled by the mystery of the bull, Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min), the bumbling, trigger-happy police chief of Hope Harbor, drives back into town and is confronted with a disaster zone.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 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

Colorado moves way up to one spot ahead of Georgia Tech after blocking the final field goal for the road win over the Yellow Jackets.

— Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Buoyed by her leadership of the multi-billion-dollar expansion project last decade, Espino moves up from deputy administrator to take full command of the canal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026