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
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Recent Examples of propels
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
The rest of the cast includes Shin Hyun-been (Cinderella at 2AM) as Jung Young-hee, Im Sung-jae (Law and the City) as a seemingly nice factory owner and Han Ji-hyun (No Gain, No Love) as the reporter whose curiosity propels the film’s plot.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The study focused on the sperm’s flagellum, or tail, a whip-like structure whose motion propels the sperm forward.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
The opera goes to the heart of questions and debates over crime and punishment, and Heggie’s score propels it forward in an eloquent, deeply moving sound world.
—Georgia Rowe, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
White Out possesses the quest element that propels many a recovery memoir—except that in Clune’s case, the quest for sobriety is until the end consistently subordinated to the quest to score more drugs.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The combination of the Starship, which could someday carry astronauts and cargo to the moon and Mars, and the Super Heavy booster, the rocket that propels the Starship in space, is more than 400 feet tall, made of stainless steel, and is being designed by SpaceX to be fully reusable.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
The internet propels you into all of this meaningless, trivial BS, right?
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 25 Aug. 2025
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
The rest of the cast includes Shin Hyun-been (Cinderella at 2AM) as Jung Young-hee, Im Sung-jae (Law and the City) as a seemingly nice factory owner and Han Ji-hyun (No Gain, No Love) as the reporter whose curiosity propels the film’s plot.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The study focused on the sperm’s flagellum, or tail, a whip-like structure whose motion propels the sperm forward.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
The opera goes to the heart of questions and debates over crime and punishment, and Heggie’s score propels it forward in an eloquent, deeply moving sound world.
—Georgia Rowe, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
White Out possesses the quest element that propels many a recovery memoir—except that in Clune’s case, the quest for sobriety is until the end consistently subordinated to the quest to score more drugs.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The combination of the Starship, which could someday carry astronauts and cargo to the moon and Mars, and the Super Heavy booster, the rocket that propels the Starship in space, is more than 400 feet tall, made of stainless steel, and is being designed by SpaceX to be fully reusable.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
The internet propels you into all of this meaningless, trivial BS, right?
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
-
But Democrat Murphy says the more Vought pushes the legal envelope, the more Democrats should fight back.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
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Another red flag could be an advisor who pushes products without a firm understanding of your goals, risk tolerance and timeline.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That electricity then drives electric motors to power propellers, with water vapor as the only emission.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
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The program focuses on one-on-one coaching that gives clients a step-by-step plan to grow their brand and confidently share their story in a way that drives growth and trust.—
Wyles Daniel,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The agent then shoves her, his hands lifting hers, as seen in a brief glimpse in the video.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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Upon hearing those words, the protestor turns around quickly and his chest makes contact with Burchett, who then shoves him with both hands.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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White and Clark have a strong foundation underneath them as the team moves into the future.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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This moves the email to your Spam folder and helps train AOL's filters.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Why This Recall Is Being Issued The pads were designed to provide a cooling effect for children, with a cooling layer that activates when a child sits down.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
29 Sep. 2025
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Group dynamics may trigger deep emotional wounds when the Sagittarius moon activates Venus.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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