1
as in drove
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 compelled
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
I felt impelled to tell the truth, however painful it might be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impelled
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
While the recent protests were sparked by the social media ban, protesters said that they had been impelled by years of government corruption and failure to provide young people with economic opportunities.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
While Elijah had consistently depended on God up to that point, great fear impelled him to run far into the wilderness.
—Cheryl Ranson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2025
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
While the recent protests were sparked by the social media ban, protesters said that they had been impelled by years of government corruption and failure to provide young people with economic opportunities.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
While Elijah had consistently depended on God up to that point, great fear impelled him to run far into the wilderness.
—Cheryl Ranson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impelled
Verb
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By 1986, this legal jeopardy drove all but one vaccine manufacturer out of the market, with that last survivor poised to abandon vaccines in the US as well.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Evidence shows planned meeting Prosecutors say cell phone geolocation and call records showed Campbell left his home in Anson and drove about 30 minutes to an Abilene hotel to meet the minors.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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If those studies are widely accepted as valid scientific work, then judges will be compelled to admit them as evidence in any lawsuits against said companies.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
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Cats, however, remain autonomous, understanding the situation without feeling compelled to intervene unless there’s a direct benefit for themselves.—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Verb
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As many agencies have limited how noncitizens can qualify for programs — like housing subsidies or commercial trucking licenses — the SBA moved to do the same.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
12 June 2026
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Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, the cultural architect moved to Chicago to attend graduate school and receive a degree in computational sociology.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Verb
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With Italy not in action and her not receiving a call similar to the one Eleonara Incardona received to cover the World Cup, she's been forced to cover her own vacation.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Theodat’s suit Theodat’s suit painted her as an accomplished leader who was forced out not due to any failings but because of discrimination.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
Verb
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His involvement propelled him to the upper echelons of legal leadership.—
Diamy Wang,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
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Despite her deep love for her family, Lally was propelled away from home by her adventurous spirit.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Lured by the promise of well-paying jobs, hundreds of thousands of people like them have been coerced into engaging in scams such as posing as women online, cultivating intimate relationships with foreigners to defraud them of their savings.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
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In the state of Arkansas, lawmakers worked across the aisle on a bold bill that categorizes kids recruited into gangs and coerced into committing crimes as victims.—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
Verb
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But the aircraft’s ditch switch, designed to reduce flooding during a water landing, was widely reported as not being activated, almost certainly because the crew had only seconds to prioritize what mattered most.—
Tim Burns,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
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Further analysis indicated that removing certain molecules reshaped the tumor microenvironment and activated several anti-tumor immune responses.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Verb
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And not only is the government legally obligated to allow for comments on the rule, they are also obliged to respond.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
9 June 2026
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His status as the game’s best secure, Messi lifted the trophy in a bisht that had been placed upon him — obliged to share his greatest triumph with the geopolitical forces that had brought the World Cup to the Middle East for the first time.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impelled. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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