propelled

verb

past tense of propel
1
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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2
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 With a new Swiss manufacture in the works and Vanguart’s first decade on the horizon, there is a definite sense that the house is tapping into an irresistible horological energy, propelled forward by a passionate customer base. — Rachel Ingram, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2026 The Guardians have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after Petey Halpin’s two-run homer propelled them to a 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Thursday afternoon. — Joe Reedy, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Few wins get better than that one and propelled Texas to the top. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 After a grueling couple of days for tech stocks—propelled by drama and speculation around CoreWeave’s debt—traders bought the dip in the last 24 hours and stocks rose globally. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 The slew of favorable developments has propelled shares up about 8% this week, including Friday's more than 1% gain. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 The launch, propelled out by a Falcon 9 rocket, was carrying the Cargo Dragon spacecraft. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2026 Her album spent 11 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and, for the first time, propelled the artist to Number One on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. — Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026 Keaton Wagler, whose sensational freshman season propelled Illinois to its first Final Four in 21 years, is preparing for the NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers. — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelled
  1. pushed
  2. drove
  3. shoved
  4. moved
  5. thrust
  6. activated
  7. impelled
Verb
  • Already, two bipartisan groups of senators have pushed back on the decision, including seven Republicans.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Lebanese officials have pushed for a last-minute extension of UNIFIL's mandate, so far without success.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pushed
Verb
  • The individual who inflicted the fatal injury drove the spear downward through the victim’s left chest cavity from the front, piercing major arteries and the lungs before creating the hole in the left scapula.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Ohtani drove the Struggle Bus into Game 3, having struck out seven times in 20 playoff at-bats, with only three singles and no extra-base hits and no RBIs.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of drove
Verb
  • The banquet hall was total chaos, packed with people who shoved their way toward the front, trying to bribe the hostess for a table with red envelopes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Although some Alabama fans reacted to the loss and officiating by throwing water bottles on the field, one spectator came down from his seat and got in the face of and shoved Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson.
    — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of shoved
Verb
  • The new walkers moved even more slowly to emphasize their enormous weight.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The alleged rivalry between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle was seemingly dying down—but then Meghan and Prince Harry moved back to the UK.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of moved
Verb
  • Traceability isn’t something being thrust on unwilling cotton suppliers, a new report found.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • He is thrust into a world of dangerous criminals, impossible odds, and life-altering choices, ultimately forced to decide what his own life is worth.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of thrust
Verb
  • Federal immigration officials need to ensure that body cameras worn by officers are uniformly activated when needed, a government report released Wednesday said, following a series of contentious shootings and aggressive arrests by ICE officers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The carrier is expected to hold NATO command ship responsibilities until mid-2027, positioning it to lead a multinational naval force if activated during an international crisis.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of activated
Verb
  • Some fifteen years later, her determination to study Schubert lieder with expert teachers was in large part what impelled her to go to Europe.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of impelled

Browse Nearby Words

propellants
propelled
propelling
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Cite this Entry

“Propelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelled. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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