1
as in pushing
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 driving
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 propelling
Texas State’s Chase Mora greeted USC closer Adam Troy with a monstrous two-run home run to left field in the top of ninth, propelling the Bobcats to 5-4 upset before a crowd of 6,956.
—
Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
The rules produced by students at Eton in 1847, by contrast, outlawed the use of hands for propelling the ball.
—Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
He was lauded for his entrepreneurial chops while effectively being shooed out of the powerful firm; but leaving the Wall Street institution proved to be a blessing in disguise in propelling his career to its current height.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Today, her descendants are propelling her legacy into a digital era, building the online presence with an eye on hospitality and fashion partnerships to grow the brand and impact future generations with Parish’s story.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
Demand for GPUs surged after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, propelling Nvidia to the mantle of world’s most valuable company in 2024.
—Matthew Chin, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Brown is using his 7-footers as a turbo propelling the Knicks to its first legitimate title run in more than 50 years.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
The gravity assist maneuver will act not unlike a slingshot, propelling the spacecraft on a trajectory to arrive at the metallic main-belt asteroid Psyche in 2029, NASA explained.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Madison Dever sniped five goals, propelling Rockland to a 17-5 win over South Shore League rival East Bridgewater.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
The rules produced by students at Eton in 1847, by contrast, outlawed the use of hands for propelling the ball.
—Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
He was lauded for his entrepreneurial chops while effectively being shooed out of the powerful firm; but leaving the Wall Street institution proved to be a blessing in disguise in propelling his career to its current height.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Today, her descendants are propelling her legacy into a digital era, building the online presence with an eye on hospitality and fashion partnerships to grow the brand and impact future generations with Parish’s story.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
Demand for GPUs surged after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, propelling Nvidia to the mantle of world’s most valuable company in 2024.
—Matthew Chin, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Brown is using his 7-footers as a turbo propelling the Knicks to its first legitimate title run in more than 50 years.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
The gravity assist maneuver will act not unlike a slingshot, propelling the spacecraft on a trajectory to arrive at the metallic main-belt asteroid Psyche in 2029, NASA explained.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Madison Dever sniped five goals, propelling Rockland to a 17-5 win over South Shore League rival East Bridgewater.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelling
Verb
-
White portrayed it as the natural result of two highly competitive personalities pushing each other.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
While training large models requires mass amounts of parallel math — excellent work for a GPU — accessing that data and pushing it out to multiple agents requires more general compute offered by a CPU.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Verb
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That’s when Angotti got going, driving a ball over the left-center-field fence.—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
-
These reforms stripped the dominant Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of its historical control of the regional government, driving it into active opposition.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Neither is pushing, shoving or throwing people from the pool deck.—
Hali Smith
June 2,
Idaho Statesman,
2 June 2026
-
And Patrick Paul gave up a sack to Josh Uche during the final 11-on-11 period and shoving ensued.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Nippon Dynawave was cited for moving equipment involved before it could be inspected, but not for the incident itself, the news outlet reported.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Four 2,400 kW electric motors (two each per hull) are coupled with steerable and thrusting waterjets with an output power above 25 kn.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
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The painting, surrounded by scaffolding while the church undergoes repairs, is full of thrusting diagonals and shadowy figures, a meditation on both extreme suffering and pointed indifference to it.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Verb
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By activating its regional proxy, the Houthis in Yemen, Iran could orchestrate the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, blocking another vital artery connecting major trade routes between Europe, Asia and the Arab world.—
CNN Staff,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
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That means activating our downtown with farmers markets, cultural events, outdoor gatherings, and community programming that gives residents a reason to be there.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelling. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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