propel

verb

pro·​pel prə-ˈpel 

propelled; propelling

transitive verb

: to drive forward or onward by or as if by means of a force that imparts motion

Synonyms

• drive
• push
• shove
• thrust

Examples of propel in a Sentence

He grabbed him and propelled him through the door.

The train is propelled by steam.

Recent Examples on the Web

Secondly, the mortgage lock-in effect is now beginning to ease, which is propelling a massive backlog of new listings to the market. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

The village of Round Lake appears to have a new mayor-elect, with controversy over two local projects helping propel Trustee Brian Brubaker to an overwhelming 60-point victory over incumbent Russell Kraly, according to unofficial results. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025

The team has been propelled to the 2025 championship round thanks to players like Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong. —Claire Franken, TVLine, 6 Apr. 2025

And the story was propelled by baseball’s most storied franchise. —Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English propellen "to drive away, expel," borrowed from Latin prōpellere "to push or thrust forward, compel to go onward," from prō- "before, in front" + pellere "to beat against, push, strike, rouse, expel" — more at pro- entry 2, pulse entry 1

First Known Use

1558, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for propel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

propel

verb

pro·​pel prə-ˈpel 

propelled; propelling

: to push or drive usually forward or onward

a bicycle is propelled by pedals

propelled by the crowd