1
as in drove
to set or keep in motion
gasoline impels a car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in compelled
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
I felt impelled to tell the truth, however painful it might be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impelled
Both were impelled to launch ninth-inning pushes to persuade Oscar voters that Shakespeare wasn’t really in love and Private Ryan needed serious saving.
—
Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Daniel’s commercial failure as a novelist impelled him to move to Los Angeles to try writing for the movies.
—David Kamp, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
While the recent protests were sparked by the social media ban, protesters said that they had been impelled by years of government corruption and failure to provide young people with economic opportunities.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
While Elijah had consistently depended on God up to that point, great fear impelled him to run far into the wilderness.
—Cheryl Ranson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2025
Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Daniel’s commercial failure as a novelist impelled him to move to Los Angeles to try writing for the movies.
—David Kamp, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
While the recent protests were sparked by the social media ban, protesters said that they had been impelled by years of government corruption and failure to provide young people with economic opportunities.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
While Elijah had consistently depended on God up to that point, great fear impelled him to run far into the wilderness.
—Cheryl Ranson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impelled
Verb
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During the off-season, a board member drove by Harris Roads Field, home of the Ypsilanti National Little League, and made an alarming discovery.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Larnach drove the game’s second pitch 425 feet deep into the right-field seats.—
Staff,
Twin Cities,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Iranian state television duly presented the agreement as proof that Iran had compelled America to accept its conditions, which helps explain the alarm in Israel and among Washington's hawks.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
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In defense of the players, San Francisco Archdiocese spokesman Peter Marlow stated that people of faith should not be compelled to suppress their convictions in public life.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Peter Zenk Residents in Waite Park were picking up handfuls of hail after storms moved through the Stearns County community.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
Guests were moved to nearby hotels.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Verb
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With Italy not in action and her not receiving a call similar to the one Eleonara Incardona received to cover the World Cup, she's been forced to cover her own vacation.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Theodat’s suit Theodat’s suit painted her as an accomplished leader who was forced out not due to any failings but because of discrimination.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
Verb
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His involvement propelled him to the upper echelons of legal leadership.—
Diamy Wang,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
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Despite her deep love for her family, Lally was propelled away from home by her adventurous spirit.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Verb
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But the judges said Thursday there was no evidence of torture and that investigators did not appear to have coerced the confessions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Lured by the promise of well-paying jobs, hundreds of thousands of people like them have been coerced into engaging in scams such as posing as women online, cultivating intimate relationships with foreigners to defraud them of their savings.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Once activated, this anti-nausea band releases a specific pattern of pulses that stimulate the median nerve under the skin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The landlord would go back to paying the full amount of their property-tax bill but would no longer be obliged to keep the apartments rent-stabilized — after taking care of a few essential steps along the way.—
Olivia Bensimon,
Curbed,
17 June 2026
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Digital services are also obliged to implement an age verification mechanism that goes beyond self-declaration that the user is over 18 to protect them from accessing inappropriate or prohibited material.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impelled. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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