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
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Recent Examples of propels
Ilia Malinin’s dominant free skate propels the United States to its second consecutive team figure skating gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
—
Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Rocking technology built directly into the insoles propels you forward with every step, and Vibram outsoles offer excellent grip on both trail and street terrain.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Spencer Platt | Getty Images Starbucks on Wednesday reported mixed quarterly results as the company's turnaround propels traffic growth for the first time in two years but weighs on its bottom line.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Despite the hardships, the loving childhood environment propels young Melvin Kaminsky to break out into show business, change his name, and seek global adoration.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
January’s energy is moving quickly for you, almost as if the universe is opening a series of doors all at once, and the Eight of Wands brings a surge of momentum that propels you into plans or conversations that had previously been stalled.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Jan. 2026
The personal connection propels her mission to humanize an experience shared by a large portion (90 percent) of all people who menstruate.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
This apparatus propels projectiles to velocities reaching 8 kilometers per second, which translates to approximately 18,000 miles per hour.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
This perspective propels our story beyond biological evolution and into planetary evolution.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Dec. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Rocking technology built directly into the insoles propels you forward with every step, and Vibram outsoles offer excellent grip on both trail and street terrain.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Spencer Platt | Getty Images Starbucks on Wednesday reported mixed quarterly results as the company's turnaround propels traffic growth for the first time in two years but weighs on its bottom line.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Despite the hardships, the loving childhood environment propels young Melvin Kaminsky to break out into show business, change his name, and seek global adoration.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
January’s energy is moving quickly for you, almost as if the universe is opening a series of doors all at once, and the Eight of Wands brings a surge of momentum that propels you into plans or conversations that had previously been stalled.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Jan. 2026
The personal connection propels her mission to humanize an experience shared by a large portion (90 percent) of all people who menstruate.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
This apparatus propels projectiles to velocities reaching 8 kilometers per second, which translates to approximately 18,000 miles per hour.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
This perspective propels our story beyond biological evolution and into planetary evolution.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
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The silhouette arrives as Keen scales American Built production in Kentucky and pushes its sustainability targets under Ann Radil, senior director of Keen Effect, who is focused on circular design and measuring the company’s emissions trajectory.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The novel pushes into the realm of the animal, of the mythological, to a landscape that feels ominous and otherworldly even if issues of the Atlantic are somehow also delivered there.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike body composition metrics, BMI obscures the true extent of metabolic dysfunction and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat — or between superficial fat and the visceral fat that drives diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.—
Bret Scher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Some of what also drives Honnold is making the world a better place.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The agent shoves the observer again, and then turns his attention to Pretti, pushing him out of the way before shoving the observer to the ground.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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In one video Pretti appears to intervene after an agent shoves a person.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Money may flow freely as the intuitive Moon moves through your 2nd House of Resources, trining lucky Jupiter in your 10th House of Goals.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
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The intuitive Moon moves through your 9th House of Travel, heightening the longing to explore ideas that restore hope and widen your world.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When damage occurs, whether as a crack, fracture, or microscopic defect, the material senses the disruption and activates an internal repair response.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Sanders’ go-to exercise activates muscles in your core and hips to help prevent the above inefficiencies.—
Sarah Klein,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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