motor 1 of 2

noun

ˈmō-tər How to pronounce motor (audio)
Definition of motornext
1
as in engine
a device that changes energy into mechanical motion the device was equipped with a small electrical motor to make the gears spin

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2
as in car
a self-propelled passenger vehicle on four wheels went shopping for a new automobile at Valley Motors

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motor

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly effortlessly motored past the other runners for a first-place finish

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drive
to travel by a motorized vehicle motoring along the highway at the speed limit

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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 motor
Noun
Electric motors deliver their power immediately, and the Trailseeker lunges forward with an enthusiasm that may surprise anyone expecting the traditional mild-mannered Subaru experience. — Tim Jackson, Denver Post, 28 Aug. 2026 And like an actual combustion engine, the noise from the Torcal is linked not to the car’s speed, but to the actual work being demanded of its motors. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Mora picked the ball up on halfway and just kept on motoring forward, moving towards two runners on the right, eventually nudging the ball through for Jorge Sanchez, who bundled the ball across for Quinones to finish. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026 In the fifth, Harper lined a ball into the gap in left-center field and motored around to third base for a two-run triple. — ABC News, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for motor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motor
  1. engine
  2. car
  3. speed
  4. drive
  5. machine
  6. automobile
  7. race
  8. tool
Noun
  • Independent designers, once a discovery engine, were being squeezed, while the biggest brands put more investment into their own stores, creating a dichotomy in experiences that Bron felt was palpable.
    — Hilary Milnes, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • CycloKinetics is testing its alternative rocket fuel with Venus Aerospace in a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE).
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of engine
Noun
  • One of the resources pulled was the Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool, which was designed to capture information on cars, bicycles, and pedestrians, according to the outlet.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors argued at trial that Shirilla intentionally drove into the building to end her toxic relationship with Russo and that Flanagan was an unintended victim who happened to be in the car.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of car
Verb
  • Bohm was speeding in his BMW on Dead Man's Curve, a notorious stretch of Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Networks such as Island and Archipelago electronically matched buy and sell orders, speeding up execution and reducing reliance on traditional market makers and other intermediaries.
    — Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • Bonnell also uses a belt drive as standard equipment for quieter, lower-maintenance operation, with an optional 520 chain conversion available for riders who prefer a more traditional setup.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Ronaldinho drove Madonna onto the field at half-time of the World Cup final in a weird little buggy thing.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Muscles aren’t just machines that move our bones from place to place.
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • While there have been some minimal interior changes over the decades (there’s no longer a payphone or cigarette machine), the eclectic nature of Mac’s clientele has remained the same.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Here the view from an automobile traveling at speed blurs the landscape into a series of abstract forms—the way the world appears is changed by the velocity of technology, and so is your experience of it.
    — Caitlín Doherty, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The entrance of the famed Inn at Spanish Bay, in Northern California’s Pebble Beach, had been festooned with some of the world’s most exotic automobiles—swooned over by camera-toting adorers—just a few days prior during Monterey Car Week.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of automobile
Verb
  • The core experience for me is being in the car, just having a good time, feeling the downforce, feeling the Gs, hearing the sound, and racing the car on a track.
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Now, as companies race to effectively deploy AI into business processes, that model is spreading like wildfire.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • One of the industry’s biggest challenges is tooling, as manufacturers must design, fabricate, and qualify physical dies and molds before production can begin.
    — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Hig spends his days tooling around in an old Cessna, looking for supplies, survivors or signs of life, trying to stay ahead of scavengers known as Reapers, when he is drawn outside the perimeter and finds Cima (Margaret Qualley).
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 30 July 2026
Definition of tool

Phrases Containing motor

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motleys
motor
motorboat
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Cite this Entry

“Motor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motor. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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