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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Optional extras include cruise control, motor slip regulation (MSR), track mode, and a quickshifter. — New Atlas, 4 July 2026 Her 12-year-old son, Whitman, has autism and a neurological disorder called apraxia, in which the brain struggles to tell muscles how to move to form words or perform other motor skills. — Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
Eventually, Flores and Álvarez motored to the rendezvous point, where there was no sign of the Fiorella, or of the other skiff. — Will Freeman, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 Between the Orion spacecraft seamlessly motoring onward on the left of this image and two boosters mirroring one another on the right, this booster separation is picture perfect. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 26 May 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
  • Chevrolet's 2027 Silverado will feature two new small-block V8 engine options.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Investigators found no evidence of engine problems, fuel contamination or weight issues with the flight, the report said.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Definition of engine
Noun
  • Other changes cover self-driving car citations, school cellphone bans, all-gender restrooms and standardized food date labels.
    — Ruyuan Li. Summary produced by AI assistance, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Its biggest change is the introduction of the BMW i3, a fully electric version of the car.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of car
Verb
  • Cain pointed out that having the president of the United States greasing the wheels definitely helped speed things along.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Boise and Ada County have created infractions for speeding on the Greenbelt, and the city worked with Lime, a popular electric transportation company, to limit scooter speeds in parts of the city.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • Congestion is difficult to predict, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, when driving behavior shifted and peak traffic hours spread out instead of sticking to the more uniform 9-to-5 workday.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • In the suburbs and across major cities, the buzzing machines are everywhere.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Maybe dunking your head in a cotton candy machine, but it's been done.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Matt Miller, the ESPN NFL Draft analyst who shared last month on social media that his left arm was amputated following an automobile accident in southern Missouri, reportedly is being investigated by the state attorney general.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • This evolution has already occurred in sectors such as automobiles, batteries, telecommunications, and consumer electronics.
    — Rainer Zitelmann, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Definition of automobile
Verb
  • In 2023, more than a decade after a experiencing season-ending racing injuries, Muniz decided to pursue his dream of NASCAR racing full-throttle and announced his return to stock car racing in the ARCA Menards Series.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Ships raced through the night to reach New York Harbor, all trying to be first to dock at Ellis Island.
    — Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • Even most CEOs don’t have a full picture of which AI tools their teams are using.
    — Phil Portman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Perry was also spotted behind the wheel of an electric vehicle and tooled around town with Trudeau riding in the passenger seat.
    — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 16 June 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor

Nglish: Translation of motor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor

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