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
-
But the new national media deal pushes the league closer to the NFL’s economic model, with central revenue playing a larger role, as the league sorts out options to centralize more TV rights.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
If Toronto pushes this series to seven games, Bieber will get the ball once again.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Each of the characters are extremely different, yet Ansari successfully drives home the point that empathy is what connects us all.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The modern world drives you back underground in a weird way.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
After being discovered, the woman shoves Lo's head into the wall, knocking her unconscious, and locks her away in a storage room deep within the yacht.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
This design is lighter than traditional night vision systems and places the weight in a way that moves with the soldier.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The position also activates your core and upper body, improving the function of your thoracic spine (the middle section connecting to your ribs).—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The 2025 October West Coast Storm disaster declaration activates state public and individual assistance programs, providing grants for infrastructure restoration, emergency medical and transportation costs, and temporary housing assistance.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share