PROPELLED Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

propelled

verb

past tense of propel

as in pushed

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

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as in drove

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 propelled That performance propelled the film’s cumulative gross to $981,195. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Outrage at Taney’s power grab filled the sails of the antislavery Republican Party and ultimately propelled Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Parton was born one of 12 children in a small town in Tennessee and propelled herself to become one of the world's most successful entertainers, releasing 50 albums and winning 11 Grammy Awards. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The lack of quit in Jordan propelled her to the victory and launched her first title reign as NXT women’s champion. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Shares of marketing software company Salesforce surged roughly 22% on the week, propelled by a beat-and-raise quarter and a new partnership with large language model maker Anthropic. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026 The telescope will get off the ground and be propelled into space atop SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket from the historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Her hypnotic, unconventional works propelled her from near-obscurity to a place in the world’s most prominent museums. — Juno Carmel, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 Her immense musical talent guaranteed her top-tier standing in country music and propelled her into a level of mainstream success that only a handful of her peers would match. — Ann Powers, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelled

Verb

The threat of shortages pushed countries across Asia to impose export bans, cut import duties, and start rationing fuel to maintain supplies.

— Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
The extreme heat pushed up air conditioning electricity demand, while heavy storms simultaneously dealt a blow to power supplies in parts of the country.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pushed

Verb

The Middle East war and the resulting shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz drove up global commodity costs, further squeezing Beijing's own appetite for commodity imports.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Matson testified that Paul Robinson visited to the fraternity house two days after his son posted bail, then drove with Matson to retrieve the safe while his son packed at the fraternity house.

— Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of drove

Verb

Just last week, 65-year-old Lydia Zuniga’s leg was broken in three places after a mentally ill stranger shoved her onto the tracks at a Bronx subway station in an unprovoked attack.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
At the weigh-ins and face-off for the IBF heavyweight championship fight, Itauma shoved Hrgovic off the stage and the latter retaliated by slapping the former's face.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of shoved

Verb

Cameron moved up to the division earlier this year and defeated Michaela Kotaskova by unanimous decision in April to claim the vacant WBO title and become a two-weight world champion.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Ragged, jagged or fluffy edges point to a Bristol Type 6 stool, meaning waste moved through the colon too fast for water to be absorbed properly.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of moved

Verb

Steven Black raised a piece of asphalt and, over and over, thrust it into Susan Watkins’ face.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
Corbin uses cabbage as an anchor in his new and expanding Rolodex of flavors, thrusting it into the fire until the outer layers are blackened and frizzled.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of thrust

Verb

When that temperature surpassed 86 degrees, the roofs would be activated and players would be granted a ten-minute stoppage.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
Guided Vision will be available in the system Accessibility shortcuts and can also be activated from the TalkBack menu.

— Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of activated

Verb

Despite the challenges, many candidates are impelled by the desire to steer political discourse toward civility and issues that matter most to ordinary citizens.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
His experience impelled him to join an informal yet determined community of researchers, doctors, and patients pushing for extra studies to help patients and doctors find the right dosage for an array of cancer drugs.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of impelled

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propellants

propelled

propelling

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“Propelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelled. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of propelled

verb

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