1
as in to push
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 to drive
to set or keep in motion
the aircraft is propelled by a pair of turboprop engines
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of propel
Eventually, darker, wilder impulses propel them into conflict with each other.
—
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Longtime tobacco alternative companies like Smokey Mountain Chew added pouches to their lineups, and additional brand launches in 2024 and 2025 helped to propel pouches into the wellness space.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The product came first and the demand propelled her to act.
—London School Of Economics, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Demand for GPUs surged after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, propelling Nvidia to the mantle of world’s most valuable company in 2024.
—Matthew Chin, CNBC, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for propel
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
Longtime tobacco alternative companies like Smokey Mountain Chew added pouches to their lineups, and additional brand launches in 2024 and 2025 helped to propel pouches into the wellness space.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The product came first and the demand propelled her to act.
—London School Of Economics, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Demand for GPUs surged after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, propelling Nvidia to the mantle of world’s most valuable company in 2024.
—Matthew Chin, CNBC, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for propel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propel
Verb
-
As criticism over competitive disparities intensified following the meet, pro-trans activists pushed back with the familiar argument that inclusion matters more than results, while opponents argued female athletes lose opportunities in the process.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Williams happened to be passing by as the young dancer was pushing her car down the highway with a friend, and Williams along with his manager stopped to help and was quickly charmed.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The work is freelance and deadline-driven, with no salary, benefits, or job security.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
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Neto drove a 2-0 sinker 413 feet to center field, stunning Ginn and the A’s while ending a six-game losing streak for the Angels.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Replays on Cleveland’s scoreboard showed Thompson grab Merrill by the neck and shove him to the deck.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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The next day she is shipped off to her first job, also within the confines of this impossibly vast building, which involves shoving film canisters down a pneumatic tube.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The campaign now moves forward with voters weighing sharply different visions for California’s future as the primary draws closer.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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The Raiders had their worst season since moving to Las Vegas last year.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The painting, surrounded by scaffolding while the church undergoes repairs, is full of thrusting diagonals and shadowy figures, a meditation on both extreme suffering and pointed indifference to it.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
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Nereyda said this year hasn’t been as bad as a year ago when Hernandez was first thrust into a national anti-trans backlash.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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That foundation meant that when the mainstream moment arrived, there was already a real community ready to activate and amplify it.—
Olivia Shalhoup,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propel. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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