Synonyms for propel
prəˈpɛlpro·pel

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:3.0 / 4 votes

1. propelverb

   To cause to move in a certain direction.

   Antonyms:
   rest

2. propelverb

   Synonyms:
   drive, push

   Antonyms:
   halt, stay, stop

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.3 / 10 votes

1. propel

   To drive is to move an object with some force or violence before or away from oneself; it is the direct reverse of draw, lead, etc. A man leads a horse by the halter, drives him with whip and rein. One may be driven to a thing or from it; hence, drive is a synonym equally for compel or for repel or repulse. Repulse is stronger and more conclusive than repel; one may be repelled by the very aspect of the person whose favor he seeks, but is not repulsed except by the direct refusal or ignoring of his suit. A certain conventional modern usage, especially in England, requires us to say that we drive in a carriage, ride upon a horse; tho in Scripture we read of riding in a chariot (2 Kings ix, 16; Jer. xvii, 25, etc.); good examples of the same usage may be found abundantly in the older English. The propriety of a person's saying that he is going to drive when he is simply to be conveyed in a carriage, where some one else, as the coachman, does all the driving, is exceedingly questionable. Many good authorities prefer to use ride in the older and broader sense as signifying to be supported and borne along by any means of conveyance. Compare BANISH; COMPEL; INFLUENCE.

   See synonyms for DRAW.

   Synonyms:
   compel, drive, impel, push, repel, repulse, resist, ride, thrust, urge on

   Preposition:
   Drive to market; to despair; drive into exile; from one's presence; out of the city; drive by, with, or under the lash; drive by or past beautiful estates; along the beach; beside the river; through the park; across the field; around the square; to the door; into the barn; out of the sunshine.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. propel

   Synonyms:
   hurl, project, drive, urge

   Antonyms:
   retard, detain, withhold

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. propel, impelverb

   cause to move forward with force

   "Steam propels this ship"

   Synonyms:
   move, actuate, prompt, motivate, impel, incite, force

2. motivate, actuate, propel, move, prompt, inciteverb

   give an incentive for action

   "This moved me to sacrifice my career"

   Synonyms:
   spark off, incite, remind, act, trip, motivate, spark, run, impress, strike, impel, instigate, trigger off, move, displace, make a motion, trigger, inspire, prod, proceed, affect, be active, set off, go, prompt, activate, locomote, touch off, cue, travel, egg on, actuate, stir up

Matched Categories

1. • Move

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. propelverb

   Synonyms:
   impel, drive forward, push forward, urge on

How to pronounce propel?

How to say propel in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use propel in a sentence?

1. Stephen Gutowski:

   They make replicas, and they still produce real, single-action revolvers today that are similar to those used in the period that this movie is supposed to take place in, it depends on what kind of gun they were using. But even if they were using a blank firing gun, you know, a prop gun designed to work with blanks. Specifically, there is a possibility that someone could have loaded a live round into that gun, and it could still propel that bullet projectile down and out the barrel towards somebody, even if it's not designed to do that necessarily.

2. Steve Maraboli:

   Seizing the power of now is what will help you propel your life to where you need to be."

3. Sir Isaiah Berlin:

   But to manipulate men, to propel them toward goals which you -- the social reformers -- see, but they may not, is to deny their human essence, to treat them as objects without wills of their own, and therefore to degrade them.

4. Alessio Patalano:

   Sailors train regularly to man this ship to the utmost of its capabilities, which means that on favorable weather conditions its sails could propel it well past 10 knots, whilst this is not a speed comparable to modern ships, when combined with a proficient crew, it would certainly give the ship an edge over four narcos on a home made drug-carrying raft, fast as it could have been.

5. Jason Crawford:

   If you can harness the abilities that marine animals have to make light, you can generate molecular systems for imaging in the lab or in medicine. Imaging is an incredibly important biomedical objective that these types of systems could help to propel into the future, sharks are wonderful animals that have been around for over 400 million years. Sharks continually fascinate humans, and they hold so many mysteries and superpowers.