1
2
3
as in to push
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
drove the plunger into the opening
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
the corrupt governor was driven out of office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to activate
to cause to function
machinery driven by waterpower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to move
to set or keep in motion
this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in road
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
raced our motorcycles along the drive
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2
as in campaign
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band
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3
as in desire
a strong wish for something
a drive to succeed in the television news business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in energy
active strength of body or mind
senior citizens who exercise regularly are more likely to have the drive to keep up with their grandchildren
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5
as in ambition
readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity
a great opportunity for a sales representative who is full of drive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of drive
Ashley Nunes, Boston Herald, 7 June 2025
Goldstein drove Boozer home with a sacrifice fly and Corral plated the go-ahead run with a single through the right side.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2025
Umar Shakir, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023
As part of the drive for efficiency, NHS managers were pressured to keep bed vacancies low.
—David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drive
Verb
And two-thirds of households with an EV have another non-EV that is driven more — hardly a recipe for climate success given that EVs must be driven (a lot) to deliver climate benefits.
—Ashley Nunes, Boston Herald, 7 June 2025
Goldstein drove Boozer home with a sacrifice fly and Corral plated the go-ahead run with a single through the right side.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2025
Noun
Details sent to the company included the health and read / write values of the drive using CrystalDiskInfo, which is a program that can read the SMART data embedded in most hard disks.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023
As part of the drive for efficiency, NHS managers were pressured to keep bed vacancies low.
—David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive
Verb
-
The state’s current governor, Democrat Phil Murphy, can't run again after serving two terms.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
10 June 2025
-
Owners will also be eligible for a dedicated driver development program, designed to optimize their driving ability and remove the stress of running track sessions.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Those motoring to work in a Rolls-Royce aren’t being left out, either.—
Susan Campos,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The man appears to briefly lift the scooter away from the child’s leg, the child gets back on the scooter, and Miller eventually motors away.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
Verb
-
This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
-
In a statement, de Gonzales claimed when Ceja Alvarez opened fire, Joss pushed his husband out of the way and saved his life.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Whether that’s a trial site, a community center or the patient’s workplace, this model removes friction from both ends: Participants aren’t forced to travel, and sponsors don’t have to wait for overwhelmed sites to come online.—
Sonali Bloom,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Despite Anna’s meticulous preparations, her intent to force confessions from the passengers and deliver them directly to authorities is immediately derailed when just hours into the trip one of her guests is murdered.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
More than 200 water spray features and water playgrounds will also be fully activated across the city by this weekend.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
-
Greenberg's team was activated three days before the storm made landfall, according to Congressional testimony by then-FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Some of its missiles have a range of more than 300 miles and can strike a moving ship.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
-
Trump's deportation policies have moved toward workplaces, as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement tries to reach the White House's goal of 3,000 deportations a day.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
The pair, while traveling east in a 2020 Honda that was negotiating a curve, crossed the centerline into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a 2015 Ford traveling west, according to a State Police report.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
16 June 2025
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Rent a car or take advantage of Europe’s superb train service to travel from small city to city at your leisure.—
John Mariani,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
These disruptions often result in road closures, traffic spikes and delays across key transit routes, severely affecting delivery schedules.—
Clemente Theotokis,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
The crowd was completely moved from the road by 5 p.m. and moved into the Civic Center.—
Rhona Tarrant,
CBS News,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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