drive 1 of 2

1
as in to run
to urge, push, or force onward cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to motor
to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to push
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one drove the plunger into the opening

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5
6
7

drive

2 of 2

noun

1
2
as in campaign
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
5

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb drive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of drive are actuate, impel, and move. While all these words mean "to set or keep in motion," drive implies imparting forward and continuous motion and often stresses the effect rather than the impetus.

a ship driven aground by hurricane winds

When might actuate be a better fit than drive?

The words actuate and drive can be used in similar contexts, but actuate stresses transmission of power so as to work or set in motion.

turbines actuated by waterpower

When would impel be a good substitute for drive?

While the synonyms impel and drive are close in meaning, impel is usually figurative and suggests a great motivating impetus.

a candidate impelled by ambition

When could move be used to replace drive?

In some situations, the words move and drive are roughly equivalent. However, move is very general and implies no more than the fact of changing position.

moved the furniture

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 drive
Verb
Senate fiscal hawks are making a steep set of demands in negotiations over the debt ceiling, driving an even harder bargain than the House rabble-rousers who won $2 trillion in cuts. David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2025 It's being driven by seniors and high-income consumers—and that poses a bigger problem for U.S. brands. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
Details sent to the company included the health and read / write values of the drive using CrystalDiskInfo, which is a program that can read the SMART data embedded in most hard disks. Umar Shakir, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023 As part of the drive for efficiency, NHS managers were pressured to keep bed vacancies low. David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for drive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive
Verb
  • Ironically, for years, the United States has run a large trade deficit with Russia, the country Trump wants to embrace the most.
    Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • For an extra clean, run the empty machine on its highest temperature setting without detergent.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This season, led by first-time All-Star Cade Cunningham and Coach of the Year candidate J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons have motored to the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference.
    Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The wheels can motor along at up to 5 m/s (11 mph), and the hot-swap dual-battery setup is reckoned good for 3 hours between fast-charge top-ups – or a range of 15 km (over 9 miles).
    Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 1 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Are Puerto Rican filmmakers pushing for this to change?
    Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Business schools are mimicking Harvard and Stanford, pushing a VC-centric curriculum instead of teaching unicorn-entrepreneurship—the skills to build billion-dollar businesses without VC.
    Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Her story forced the country to confront a flawed legal system and the cultural discomfort with women who challenged it.
    Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The move, which has already begun, is again forcing the displacement of Palestinian civilians who returned to their homes in northern and southern Gaza strip after the ceasefire was announced in January.
    Barak Ravid, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • New users can sign up through our links to activate this welcome offer in time for second round action over the weekend.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently issued a joint advisory warning that two-factor authentication needed to be activated for all webmail and VPN accounts as a matter of urgency.
    Davey Winder, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Once the pandemic came along, Stegemann moved bit by bit from Hamburg out to Bender’s in the countryside.
    Fiona Bornhöft, Architectural Digest, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The baby kept moving her fingers right around the dog's eyes, but Daisy Doo didn't care.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • If any of the men in black and white lacked motivation, the merest glances to the fans who’d traveled in their droves from the North-east would refuel them in an instant.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • In the seventeenth century, for example, people of all classes made pilgrimages to temples and shrines, visited hot springs for health reasons, and traveled to see the sights of the country.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The back-bone contusion that prematurely ended his 2024-25 campaign after 30 games stemmed from a fall during a Mar. 19 road win vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
    Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Foreign assistance has started to arrive, but efforts have been stifled by buckled roads, collapsed bridges and downed cell towers.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on drive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!