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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of propels
White Out possesses the quest element that propels many a recovery memoir—except that in Clune’s case, the quest for sobriety is until the end consistently subordinated to the quest to score more drugs.
—
Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Each sperm is streamlined for speed, with a tail that propels it forward and a head that carries genetic material.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
The combination of the Starship, which could someday carry astronauts and cargo to the moon and Mars, and the Super Heavy booster, the rocket that propels the Starship in space, is more than 400 feet tall, made of stainless steel, and is being designed by SpaceX to be fully reusable.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
The internet propels you into all of this meaningless, trivial BS, right?
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 25 Aug. 2025
The blast kills Toussaint and propels London into chaos.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Last month, viewership of the 2020 Netflix docuseries based on the book jumped 430 percent, a spike that often propels source material back up the charts.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Later, once a series of gory doings propels matters into prime horror territory, the movie takes an altogether different path, a supernatural one.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
This explosion propels brightly burning particles in all directions, creating streaks of light in the air.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Each sperm is streamlined for speed, with a tail that propels it forward and a head that carries genetic material.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
The combination of the Starship, which could someday carry astronauts and cargo to the moon and Mars, and the Super Heavy booster, the rocket that propels the Starship in space, is more than 400 feet tall, made of stainless steel, and is being designed by SpaceX to be fully reusable.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2025
The internet propels you into all of this meaningless, trivial BS, right?
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 25 Aug. 2025
The blast kills Toussaint and propels London into chaos.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Last month, viewership of the 2020 Netflix docuseries based on the book jumped 430 percent, a spike that often propels source material back up the charts.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Later, once a series of gory doings propels matters into prime horror territory, the movie takes an altogether different path, a supernatural one.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
This explosion propels brightly burning particles in all directions, creating streaks of light in the air.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propels
Verb
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Of course, this vision also pushes technology to adapt in ways that could benefit life on Earth.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Laura pushes Cherry into the pool during their battle, and Cherry holds Laura’s head under water.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Over half of the generation says hard work, not luck, drives success.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Security leaders have long viewed data as a strategic asset that drives insights, innovation and market advantage.—
Asaf Kochan,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But soon the film reaches its first binge-eating scene, in which Maddie violently shoves fistfuls of food into her mouth in a dark kitchen.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Sue threatens to call the police and an emotional Santana then shoves her backward into a bookshelf in the corner of her office before appearing slightly surprised at her own behavior and leaving.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has confirmed plans to pursue the death penalty, meaning Robinson will remain in custody without bail as the case moves toward trial.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Conventional engines burn fuel in a steady process, where the flame front (the area at which combustion occurs) moves smoothly through a propellant mixture to produce continuous thrust.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The system, created by Eshel Wasim and Dharsan Srinivasan, uses AI and sensors to detect when a crash is imminent and activates automatically if the plane is below 3,000 feet.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
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Neuroscience confirms that a rival’s failure actually activates the ventral striatum, the brain’s pleasure center, rivaling the thrill of a team’s success.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propels. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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