1
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion
gasoline impels a car's engine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
I felt impelled to tell the truth, however painful it might be
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impel
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
There is also a wider danger that handing Vladimir Putin a victory in taking over the rich Black Sea region of Crimea will impel him to seize more sections of Ukraine in the future, and inspire other expansionist powers to launch their own wars of conquest.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Yet firms cannot recruit workers from abroad even at the higher wage because of restrictions on immigration, so business leaders in the United States are impelled to choose machines over people and eradicate jobs through the use of technology.
—Lant Pritchett, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for impel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impel
Verb
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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the unrest has been driven by a mix of economic desperation and political anger.—
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While there are some other small new concessions in the CBA that will help players make ends meet (such as getting access to health benefits in the offseason), to hear ECHLers explain their strike vote, the pay bump was never the driving force.—
Verb
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Necessity compelled us to use it.—
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For that reason, too, the Grammy winner was compelled to furnish it primarily in one brand, RH, so that every bit of white oak would be the same.—
Verb
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Enrollment Though still growing overall, state economists reported in early January that K-12 enrollment numbers were nearly 42,500 lower than predicted, with signs of continuing downward trends moving forward.—
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Researchers at the University of Manchester, led by Professor Thomas Anthopoulos, have successfully stabilized perovskite solar cells, which could help move the low-cost technology into the global mass market.—
Verb
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The system adapts to tone and intent without forcing app switching or blank-page starts.—
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She and other members of both houses and both parties were evacuated for their safety for several hours as rioters forced their way into the Capitol that day.—
Verb
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During inquiries, the ICO found 178 active email accounts using passwords identical or similar to those set by the organization’s IT desk when the account was activated.—
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In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.—
Verb
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Further complicating matters, Doe was interviewed by Phong Tran, a then-Oakland detective who has since been charged with perjury for allegedly coercing witnesses into falsely incriminating murder defendants.—
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The lawsuit accused the company of coercing customers into signing agreements that allowed the company to act as the exclusive real estate listing agent for an undisclosed period of time.—
Verb
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Petruzzo will help spearhead the next chapter of the company and further propel its international expansion by evolving the brand’s storytelling, client experience and market strategy while keeping wellness at the core of its proposition.—
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The stock, which had been priced at $45, opened at $70 and ended the day above $60, propelled by a 2025 surge in federal space and defense spending and headlines the company won after successfully landing a craft on the moon and securing more contracts.—
Verb
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Beyond that, the A’s are in no way obligated to drop the name Las Vegas Athletics because the USPTO hasn’t yet trademarked the phrase.—
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You are not obligated to be everyone’s friend, nor are you obligated to make friends for those who seem lost.—
Cite this Entry
“Impel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impel. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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