DRIVES Synonyms: 344 Similar and Opposite Words

drives 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drive

as in runs

to urge, push, or force onward cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco

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Relevance

as in motors

to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

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as in pushes

to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one drove the plunger into the opening

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as in compels

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure the corrupt governor was driven out of office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in activates

to cause to function machinery driven by waterpower

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as in moves

to set or keep in motion this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft

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as in speeds

to proceed or move quickly the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop

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drives

2 of 2

noun

plural of drive

as in highways

a passage cleared for public vehicular travel raced our motorcycles along the drive

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as in campaigns

a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band

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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 drives

Verb

Reuse drives the design That reusable architecture could be just as important as the rocket’s lower unit cost. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 The science behind rare disease drug development is changing fast, and with it, so is the financial engine that drives it all. — Brad Quick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 In Loiza, Pica Quiñones’ great-granddaughter, Modesta Irizarry, drives around helping elderly neighbors. — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Care drives retention For Lucid Software, the company behind Lucidchart, Lucidspark and other tools, its people are the most valuable part of its business. — Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Flock’s ALPRs capture images of every vehicle that drives by, regardless of whether the car is the subject of a police investigation. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026 From petition to lawsuit to election In order to drum up support for the recall, First District residents worked together to hold daily petition drives throughout the month of May. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 Normally, this camera records everyone who drives down this street. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026 The creator’s taste drives the business, but the business eventually needs more output than one person can produce. — Ian Shepherd, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Noun

RedZone is the whip-around program that jumps around the slate to cover scoring drives. — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, now with Tampa Bay, led two second-half touchdown drives to erase a 9-0 deficit and hand the Chiefs their second preseason loss. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 All members need to think about is enjoying the drives and fast-developing friendships. — Iain MacAuley, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026 After the 2020 law took effect, Law and others who left Hong Kong continued their work abroad by meeting foreign politicians and launching petition drives. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Active travelers can embark on mountain hikes or bike the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail, while more leisurely activities include rides on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad and scenic drives. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Tagovailoa, who played only three drives, finished his day with 95 yards on seven-for-eight passing. — Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 The company and the team will also organize school supply drives, holiday events, youth camps, and football clinics throughout the year. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026 Discover the Midwest’s most charming small towns this autumn, with slow scenic drives, vivid foliage, leaf-chasing hikes, storybook-perfect downtowns, and seasonal goodies. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives

Verb

Sebold’s was the third such attack in Thornden Park, which runs alongside the campus, in about seven months.

— Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026
The center runs workshops on how to build air purifiers, how to measure heat and temperature in homes, and teaches solutions for treating those problems.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

Incoming low pressure from the west pushes away heat and allows better moisture to enter the state, raising rain chances as soon as Friday evening and increasing through the weekend.

— Tevian Whitehurst, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Most of life is complex and multifaceted, and reading is one of the only habits that pushes back against the instinct to see things in black and white.

— Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

The deal compels Facebook and Instagram to adopt new child-safety rules, including daily time caps, school-hour notification bans, stronger age checks and expanded parental controls aimed at harmful content.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Washington also opposed another streaming regulation, known as Bill 109, passed in Quebec last December, which compels streaming platforms to prioritize French-language content.

— Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

Areas farther east could see greater impacts if the center moves toward the Sabine Pass area, as some forecast guidance currently suggests.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
In training camp, Steward worked at nickel and at safety, but the personnel moves around the secondary have factored him out.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of moves

Noun

Key Biscayne The Village of Key Biscayne strictly prohibits all micromobility devices on streets, highways, sidewalks, bicycle paths, multiuse paths and trails, beaches and dunes unless otherwise authorized.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Two men were sentenced Thursday for staging crashes on New York City highways to get fraudulent insurance payouts.

— Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026