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
  • The science behind rare disease drug development is changing fast, and with it, so is the financial engine that drives it all.
    — Brad Quick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Are crazy engine swaps or transmission swaps something that could be on the table if someone wanted that?
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of engine
Noun
  • Another win was with a European car maker that replaced its next-gen Endpoint Detection and Response, legacy SIEM, and legacy vulnerability management product with an eight-figure net-new Falcon Flex.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Some residents of Gary, a Rust Belt city on the shore of Lake Michigan, around 25 miles southeast of Chicago, described people sleeping in their running cars with the air conditioning on to get some relief from the heat.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of car
Verb
  • Officers said Rodriguez sped out of the lot and fled the scene.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The next day, his rebuild group met, and one of the architects brought up prefabricated housing as an option to speed things along.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • As such, this is meant to be a workhorse that's also enjoyable to drive.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The song has a driving bass line and would be interesting to perform with a live band.
    — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • The pace of improvement in AI models has led many observers to predict that human intelligence may soon be overtaken by the cognitive capacity of machines.
    — George C. Lee II, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • China has a virtual monopoly on these minerals, which are critical to making everything from cars and jet engines to smartphones and even the dye used in MRI machines.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Trump has threatened to also double tariffs on automobiles and auto parts from Canada from 25% to 50%.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The invention of steel permitted the rise of skyscrapers, the automobile inspired highway systems and the internet gave rise to a whole new set of digital spaces.
    — George C. Lee II, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of automobile
Verb
  • Dustin Arnold, were racing as fast as 120 mph in order to get to the scene.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In the span of less than a week this July, surgeons at a Southern California hospital raced to save the lives of two women suffering from alarmingly similar brain hemorrhages.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor

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