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
Both robots had equal-power motors, with one providing steady, continuous motion in the rigid legs and the other intermittently storing energy and releasing it in snaps. — New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026 Called Motor Decide, the tool is designed to help industries evaluate electric motor technologies and make informed decisions under uncertain market conditions. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
Owen Caissie was hit by a pitch and motored to third on Mack’s single. — August 15, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026 Yoshida began the top of the 10th as the automatic runner on second, but immediately motored to third on a first-pitch sacrifice bunt by Wong and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Seigler. — Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 12 July 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
  • Its boosted flat-six engine receives a power bump, and rear-axle steering is now standard, as are larger brakes with six-piston calipers up front.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The breakthrough was to make Bonnie’s loneliness the emotional engine.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of engine
Noun
  • His 2020 breakout record, Little Dominiques Nosebleed, examined place and heritage by tracing the ripples of two successive childhood car accidents; 2022’s ISTHISFORREAL?
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • His sister, Andrea Clark, 35, told the New York Post on Tuesday that her brother had been in remission from cancer since 2015 and had survived a car fire just weeks before his death.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of car
Verb
  • Ambrossi can’t sit still, and has left his hotel to speed-walk through the city, speaking rapidly and barely glancing at his phone screen.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Supporters say Prop 45 will speed up environmental review for essential housing, transportation, water, health, education and other projects, cutting costly delays and passing the savings on to consumers.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • Zuckerberg and Wang want Muse Wonder and the more powerful Muse Wonder Full to drive Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent, which can act on people’s behalf.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To help banish the endless procrastination, National Geographic’s 2027 list of 25 must-visit destinations for the year ahead is one of its most timely and experience-driven recommendations yet.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Being part of a tank crew means being exposed to high levels of noise and vibration in a huge machine that's constantly bouncing you about like a pea in a tin.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The gang had orchestrated a $40 million fraud scheme that was based on accessing the ATM machines.
    — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Kering, which welcomed veteran automobile executive Luca de Meo as chief executive officer in September 2025, seems in a mood to shake up the group’s creative ranks.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The group's calculations exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of automobile
Verb
  • While an ordinary walk might leave her mind racing toward work, looking for a particular color gave it something else to do, effectively putting all that other mental chatter on mute.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the symbols represent more than 280 years of racing history and state pride, officials say.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor

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