IMPELS Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

impels

verb

present tense third-person singular of impel

as in drives

to set or keep in motion gasoline impels a car's engine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in compels

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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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 impels Walking through it, which the work impels one to do, shows that the six sections of Shift afford a sequence of passages down into and across the terrain. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 And so, our mission – grounded in both truth and love – impels us to discern the motives that shape events, and the shifts in thought that drive human progress through higher ideals of justice, mercy, and wisdom. — Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Mar. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impels

Verb

The ability for employees to find the best opportunities for themselves and for employers to find the best candidates for the job help to drive innovation, which drives productivity, which drives growth, Richardson has said.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Oscar drives her home and, paralyzed by the situation, leaves her unconscious at her family’s door.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

Here, Hendrikx plays anthropologist to a culture that compels each of us—whether a rider or not—to find our own vehicle for fulfillment, then take it to redline.

— Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2026
However, the necessity of operating without a financial safety net compels one to internalize these lessons.

— Shreyans Lodha, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

Writing strips out the reactive tone that damages trust and forces people to engage with the actual argument instead of the way it was said.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Maya runs away from her pain by traveling the world, first to Portugal and then to London and Japan, but an unexpected romance forces her to confront her past and realize that there may be more than one love of her life.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of forces

Verb

The agency rejected the recommendation, saying that using cameras that automatically activate when an officer pulls their weapon or activates a car siren could risk privacy concerns.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
And a few are very highly specific, such as the protease that activates insulin, which only cuts near a very specific series of amino acids.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025

Definition of coerces

Verb

The director, Sanchez, deftly leads the effort with invisible but subtly effective staging, ensuring that the family banter propels the flow.

— Bill Hirschman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
As Taiwan races toward the new millennium, its hunger for progress propels the boy forward, Yen says, while the uncle never gets that option.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of propels

Verb

Being a Zionist no more obligates us to support every Israeli policy than being an American patriot requires supporting every policy of our government.

— Scott Levin, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2026
City staff told commissioners that the development agreement obligates the developer to build a bridge.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of obligates

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impelling

impels

impend

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“Impels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impels. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of impels

verb

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