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 Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in the dynamic first period of his four-point night, propelling the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the winless Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in the dynamic first period of his four-point night, propelling the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the winless Kings on Tuesday. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Google and Microsoft followed suit soon after, further propelling the log-in method into the mainstream consciousness. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 But now, as excitement swirls over social media giant Meta Platforms' AI agent, traders are pouring into Snap call options on Monday, propelling trading volume to more than four times the month-long average, Cboe LiveVol data show. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 Madonna sealed the collection’s fame by wearing one of its standout looks to that year’s MTV Video Music Awards, catapulting the charismatic Ford onto the international stage and propelling Gucci to extraordinary commercial success. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 Sullivan’s output has reignited Philadelphia, with 10 wins and two draws from their 12 post-World Cup matches propelling them from the bottom of the Eastern Conference into a play-off position with seven regular-season games to go. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 In June, Webb allowed three runs over five starts, winning National League Pitcher of the Month and propelling himself to a third straight All-Star selection. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2026 Oates turned left in front of Mulderrig toward Kingsgate Drive, and the motorcycle slammed into the Cadillac, propelling Mulderrig into the air and leading to his death, both sides agreed. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for propelling

Verb

Because the switching happens thousands of times a second, the device can hold voltage steady, absorb a disturbance or operate in reverse, pushing power backward from batteries toward the grid.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Those cases were part of a broader movement pushing the limits of who is accountable for a mass shooting.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

That's primarily the point, said Idaho House Majority Leader Jason Monks, a Republican who sponsored the measure as a means of driving up voter turnout during the midterm elections.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Technique works well in testing This strategy optimizes both the transport and perovskite layers together, driving efficiency and durability to record levels.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

But hiding appliances isn’t quite as simple as shoving them into a cabinet and calling it a day.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026
Houston's Tari Eason was ejected with about three minutes left in the first quarter after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for shoving Washington to the court.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of shoving

Verb

The Sun enters your 6th House, beginning a month focused on routines, responsibilities, health, work, and the systems that keep everything moving.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
Position for the companies that are moving from cost cutting into building.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of moving

Verb

According to police, and as the videos appear to show, the robot touches the 16-year-old's buttocks and repeatedly makes thrusting movements toward her.

— October 14, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Its aggressively artificial imagery evokes the kind of AI-slop, dreamcore videos that tend to populate social media these days, thrusting the audience into increasingly unsettling spaces that seem generated from a stranger’s hazy childhood.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of thrusting

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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 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of propelling

verb

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