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
Relevance
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
Example 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 propelling
Cam Skinner scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, propelling Blue Hills to a 52-30 Mayflower Athletic Conference win over Westport.
—
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Nvidia has become the poster child for the AI boom, with the pervasiveness of its AI chips and platforms propelling it to briefly become the world’s first $5 trillion company last year.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
The series' final season hasn't been loved by all fans, with some arguing the story isn't propelling forward.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
In the past, this annual playlist supplied a loop of sonic pleasure, propelling me through workouts, dinner preps, and hours-long commutes.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
The truck veered into the oncoming traffic and hit a 2007 Volkswagen Jetta, propelling the car into the wall of an Aldi grocery store.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025
In this stunning four-episode miniseries, interconnectedness is the keyword as each chapter beautifully outlines how every living being — whether animal or plant — serves a purpose beyond its own survival by helping and propelling one another.
—Tomris Laffly, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Dreamy Neptune re-enters Aries on January 26, propelling us to start over and be the best versions of ourselves.
—Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2025
The spirit of Jacobson’s sentiments continued throughout the ceremony, which was hosted by comedian and actress Lynne Koplitz and sought to honor the people and products propelling the beauty industry forward.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelling
Verb
-
Kennedy Botts with Sisters PGH, a nonprofit serving the Black transgender community, is pushing back on that argument.—
-
Friends of the Everglades is pushing for 160 square miles of additional conservation land in the Everglades Agricultural Area, to create space for 1 million more acre-feet of water storage.—
Verb
-
Take extra caution when on the road or avoid driving if possible.—
-
According to investigators, the man was driving a Chevrolet Silverado northbound on Kilgore Road when the truck left the roadway, entered a ditch and overturned.—
Verb
-
Video showed officers in riot gear pushing forward as agitators crowded the street, leading to shoving and jostling during the nighttime confrontation.—
-
Lining up offsides or jumping before the snap or shoving someone who’s already out of bounds or pulling off someone’s helmet.—
Verb
-
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.—
-
Director Michael Arden, meanwhile, is up to his elbows just moving the cumbersome Legos of Dane Laffrey’s set around.—
Verb
-
Another professional sports team is coming to the Kansas City metro, on the Kansas side, thrusting the city into the professional women’s softball scene for the first time.—
-
Marner’s exit to Vegas this past summer also had the effect of thrusting Nylander into an even brighter place in the Toronto spotlight.—
Verb
-
There was also the possibility of the Panthers activating interior offensive lineman Chandler Zavala ahead of Saturday’s game.—
-
This is especially significant to consider early in the year when Saturn and Neptune join forces in Aries, activating a part of your chart that governs intimacy, trust and emotional merging.—
Cite this Entry
“Propelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share