1
2
3
as in to push
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
drove the plunger into the opening
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
the corrupt governor was driven out of office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to activate
to cause to function
machinery driven by waterpower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to move
to set or keep in motion
this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in road
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
raced our motorcycles along the drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in campaign
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in desire
a strong wish for something
a drive to succeed in the television news business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in energy
active strength of body or mind
senior citizens who exercise regularly are more likely to have the drive to keep up with their grandchildren
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in ambition
readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity
a great opportunity for a sales representative who is full of drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drive
Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
Banana and Nut Butter In addition to tryptophan, the sugar in ripe bananas may help release insulin, driving larger amino acids into muscle tissue.
—Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 14 Jan. 2025
Umar Shakir, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023
As part of the drive for efficiency, NHS managers were pressured to keep bed vacancies low.
—David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for drive 
Verb
But the demand for them remains high, with a big driving force coming from young adults who are increasingly putting off having children but opting to get pets — and paying lots of money to treat them well.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
Banana and Nut Butter In addition to tryptophan, the sugar in ripe bananas may help release insulin, driving larger amino acids into muscle tissue.
—Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
Details sent to the company included the health and read / write values of the drive using CrystalDiskInfo, which is a program that can read the SMART data embedded in most hard disks.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023
As part of the drive for efficiency, NHS managers were pressured to keep bed vacancies low.
—David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for drive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive
Verb
-
But Hutson is running the defensive corps, averaging 22:42 per night, which gives him a serious edge on Celebrini and Michkov for the campaign's best rookie.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
-
Born Joan Ann Plowright in Brigg, Lincolnshire, England, her mother ran an amateur drama group and Plowright was involved in the theater from age 3.Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
And even as the year winds down, Sabrina is still motoring full speed ahead.Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2024
-
How to Get There Most out-of-state visitors fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, rent a car, and motor the 126 miles north via Highway 260.Tasha Zemke, Outside Online, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Senate Democrats have pushed for more information over Bondi's foreign lobbying work to determine any potential conflicts of interest that might surface should she be confirmed as attorney general.Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025
-
The atmosphere and fan rowdiness gave them even more reason to push for their debuts.Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Police in riot gear used tear gas to force protesters away from the White House; then Trump was escorted to the nearby church along with several administration officials.David Sterling Brown, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2025
-
After forcing an Alperen Şengün miss on a floater with just under 50 seconds left, the Lakers came up the court down just four, but James was called for an offensive foul while trying to post up Amen Thompson near the basket.Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Burns Calories As a compound exercise, squats activate multiple muscles simultaneously.Laura Campedelli, Verywell Health, 10 Jan. 2025
-
The Chargers activated cornerback Eli Apple and wide receiver Simi Fehoko from injured reserve Friday and designated them for return.Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The couple had just moved from their modest fixer-upper in Altadena’s Janes Village to their dream home in architect Gregory Ain’s Park Planned homes, when the Eaton fire roared to life.Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
-
The road was so clogged with panicked residents that traffic was barely moving, Ms. Horowitz said, and an emergency responder told everyone to abandon their vehicles and flee toward the beach on foot.Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The lowest-remaining seed of the four will travel to face the Chiefs on either Jan. 18 or 19 in the AFC’s Divisional Round at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 11 Jan. 2025
-
Up next The Kings’ will travel to the Windy City for their second game of the three-game road trip to take on the Chicago Bulls.Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The Jayhawks, in fact, on Sunday recorded the largest margin of victory by a road team in Big 12 Conference history.Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2025
-
At least by opening odds, the closest game is the final clash of the week, with the No. 5 Minnesota Vikings 2-point road favorites at the No. 4 Rams.Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to drive
Thesaurus Entries Near drive
Cite this Entry
“Drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share