1
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion
gasoline impels a car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
I felt impelled to tell the truth, however painful it might be
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impel
Early to mid-March could impel you to make a move that wouldn’t improve matters at all, don’t let a negative mindset drive actions.
—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
Early to mid-March could impel you to make a move that wouldn’t improve matters at all, so don’t let a negative mindset drive actions.
—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Both were impelled to launch ninth-inning pushes to persuade Oscar voters that Shakespeare wasn’t really in love and Private Ryan needed serious saving.
—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Daniel’s commercial failure as a novelist impelled him to move to Los Angeles to try writing for the movies.
—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impel
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
Early to mid-March could impel you to make a move that wouldn’t improve matters at all, so don’t let a negative mindset drive actions.
—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Both were impelled to launch ninth-inning pushes to persuade Oscar voters that Shakespeare wasn’t really in love and Private Ryan needed serious saving.
—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Daniel’s commercial failure as a novelist impelled him to move to Los Angeles to try writing for the movies.
—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impel
Verb
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The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
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Congestion is difficult to predict, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, when driving behavior shifted and peak traffic hours spread out instead of sticking to the more uniform 9-to-5 workday.
Verb
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Detective Joshua Hylton was granted a geofence warrant that compelled Google to search its database and identify every cellphone in a 17½-acre area around the bank, including private residences and a church, for a period of two hours.
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The Current building the stadium, of course, helped compel the expansion that opened in May with a stop that is about a five-minute walk from the stadium.
Verb
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To keep up with the fast-moving aerial acts, the app features an adjustable countdown timer set to the official schedule.
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If anyone shows signs of heat illness, promptly move them to a cool, shaded area.
Verb
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Extreme heat has forced several communities in the Washington area to cancel or scale back their Independence Day celebrations.
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The Kings forced 20 turnovers, leading to a 22-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Verb
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Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights.
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Scent activates pathways that trigger emotional and memory responses.
Verb
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Weger later insisted he had been coerced into making the confession.
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The decentralized group, created by 15-year-old Bradley Chance Cadenhead in Stephenville, targets children through social media, gaming platforms and messaging apps to coerce them into self-harm and sharing explicit content.
Verb
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His energy and hunger propelled him out of Argentina to a successful playing career in Europe, followed by a swift transition to management at top clubs in England, France and Spain.
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The overseas vote largely favored Fujimori, who was propelled by massive support from voters in the United States and Japan.
Verb
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Meanwhile, Miami Planning Director David Snow told commissioners, the city has been obligated to approve dozens of Live Local projects, though only two are under construction.
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The Montreux Convention obligates Turkey to allow commercial ships freedom of passage, but allows the country to charge for some specific things, including sanitary, pilotage, towage and lighthouse services.
Cite this Entry
“Impel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impel. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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