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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of propels
The system uses the firm’s Prometheus electromagnetic accelerator that propels test materials through simulated weather.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
The ship’s engine propels it when wind conditions are poor, giving the crew more control over its port schedule.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The cluster transforms an already-formidable single-node machine into a genuine AI home lab, one that propels you beyond hobbyist curiosity into real-world experimentation.
—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
30 June 2026
Repetition propels us towards one night in November of 1975 when everything changes, but not in the way the heroine (or the reader) was led to expect.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The new number — roughly $63 million — propels Mahomes to the top of the league’s quarterback market.
—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
To claim, however, that Russian pressure automatically propels Armenian voters toward Europe would be naïve and analytically superficial.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
They’re built with a rocker silhouette that propels your foot forward while making heel-to-toe transitions smoother.
—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
That hope is also what propels Uranowitz's Tateh.
—
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
The ship’s engine propels it when wind conditions are poor, giving the crew more control over its port schedule.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The cluster transforms an already-formidable single-node machine into a genuine AI home lab, one that propels you beyond hobbyist curiosity into real-world experimentation.
—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
30 June 2026
Repetition propels us towards one night in November of 1975 when everything changes, but not in the way the heroine (or the reader) was led to expect.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The new number — roughly $63 million — propels Mahomes to the top of the league’s quarterback market.
—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
To claim, however, that Russian pressure automatically propels Armenian voters toward Europe would be naïve and analytically superficial.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
They’re built with a rocker silhouette that propels your foot forward while making heel-to-toe transitions smoother.
—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
That hope is also what propels Uranowitz's Tateh.
—
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
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Finney-Smith’s arrival leaves Charlotte with 17 players on standard pacts and when factoring the utilization of the maximum of three two-way contract slots into account when they are officially filled, that pushes the Hornets up to 20.
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What that collaboration has come up with is a new knife that pushes Opinel's classic profile to new heights in terms of user friendliness and features.
Verb
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By stripping out parts and, crucially, reducing the number of unique parts, the company shortens manufacturing time, raises reliability, and drives down cost, all at once.
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Fire shelters are mandatory equipment for crews who work across rugged terrain where things can change at a moment’s notice, especially when extremely dry and windy weather drives the flames, as happened last Saturday.
Verb
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Here in the famous Festival Theatre, the sprite Ariel, played in splendidly sprightly fashion by Marissa Orjalo, opens up the top of a piano, a piece of island flotsam and Prospero, in the form of the veteran actor Geraint Wyn Davies, shoves his coat inside, throws up his hands and closes the lid.
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In the video, the officers appear to shout at the man walking near multiple vehicles before a group shoves the man toward the sidewalk.
Verb
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Your mind takes you on an adventure as Jupiter moves into Leo today.
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This risk decreases as the storm moves away.
Verb
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Rucking activates the upper trapezius, shoulders, upper back, abdominals, obliques and lower back, according to trainers and coaches who specialize in the method.
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Scent activates pathways that trigger emotional and memory responses.
Verb
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And so, our mission – grounded in both truth and love – impels us to discern the motives that shape events, and the shifts in thought that drive human progress through higher ideals of justice, mercy, and wisdom.
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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