PROPELLING Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

propelling

verb

present participle of propel

as in pushing

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 driving

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 propelling While the rocket’s first stage — the booster used for liftoff — returned to Earth, its second, or upper, stage continued propelling the robotic landers on their path to the moon. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 Thrive’s fingerprints are all over the relatively small number of companies that are rapidly propelling AI forward, moving with more confidence and speed than many people probably want. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors argued that the building caught on fire, triggering a massive explosion and propelling canisters in the air, one of which fatally struck Salter in the head. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 That’s appreciable, and propelling this Winter’s Tale’s legibility is a cast full of undeniably excellent actors. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026 While aiding her in the street, Lamelas, driving a gold Ford Expedition, struck Gamez, propelling him into the air. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026 In reality, a doting manager or eagle-eyed boss won’t be the ones propelling their careers. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 The 305 put the pressure on Boston late, with Beasley propelling a 18-9 run as Amerant Bank Arena came to life, but Miami couldn’t capitalize and fell 50-47. — Ava Dicecca, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026 Ionescu scored 14 points in the first quarter, propelling the visitors to a 36-30 lead. — Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelling

Verb

For the first time, Fed officials described the demand generated by AI infrastructure buildouts as something that could continue to drive up prices for tech products and electricity—thereby pushing up inflation.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Canada has responded with its own retaliatory tariffs and pledged an aid package for affected companies, with Prime Minister Mark Carney commanding public support for the economic pain that will result from pushing back.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

Economists can debate whether a top-15 economy should morph itself into a giant leveraged bet on the AI trade, one now driving growth to new highs rather than simply riding alongside it.

— William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Still, several financial analysts have concluded that the prediction frenzy, with its sleek mobile apps and easy-to-understand odds, are driving the stock drops.

— Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

Golf equipment powerhouse Callaway ended its partnership with Good Good Golf amid the justified backlash over a video ad for a new Callaway driver that depicts a man aggressively shoving a woman to the ground.

— Greg Cote August 30, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
Pre-fight tensions escalated at the weigh-ins, with Itauma shoving Hrgovic off the stage, leading to a retaliatory slap from Hrgovic, adding fuel to the already compelling matchup.

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

Definition of shoving

Verb

Instead of simply moving the body without the patient’s involvement, HAL responds to the person’s own intention to move.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Others are already moving confidently through modern cities, studying, working and shaping lives increasingly separate from traditional expectations.

— PhotoVogue, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of moving

Verb

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
Key players George Springer and Ernie Clement were sidelined, thrusting Jesus Sanchez into the outfield.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of thrusting

Verb

The Athletic reported on Sunday that Mateta was in dispute with Palace over the final year of his contract, which is set to expire next summer, with Palace activating an option to extend his deal by a further year last December.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
That means enterprising Quest owners should be able to sideload apps without needing to register for a Meta Developer account and activating Developer Mode through Meta’s mobile app.

— Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of activating

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propelled

propelling

propels

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“Propelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propelling. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of propelling

verb

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