drove 1 of 2

noun

ˈdrōv How to pronounce drove (audio)
Definition of drovenext
1
as in flock
a great number of persons or creatures massed together people flocked to the annual festival in droves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in swarm
a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together a drove of cattle

Synonyms & Similar Words

drove

2 of 2

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rode
to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pushed
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
as in forced
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure the corrupt governor was driven out of office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in triggered
to cause to function machinery driven by waterpower

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in moved
to set or keep in motion this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in travelled
to proceed or move quickly the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop

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 drove
Noun
Road games often feel like home games because Dallas fans come in droves. — Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025 And since then, followers have come in droves, flooding her feed with comments praising her cakes, casseroles, pies, and buns. — Hannah Taylor, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
According to the brief, Higgins drove 1/10 of a mile down the road before his vehicle became inoperable due to significant damage from the crash. — Hailey Salvian, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025 Discounts drove purchases, with demand increasing by 1,029% with every 1% decrease in price. — Joan Verdon, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drove
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drove
  1. flock
  2. ran
  3. rode
  4. pushed
  5. swarm
  6. run
  7. compelled
  8. sparked
Noun
  • Meanwhile, a flock of brand-new exemptions to the state’s open-records laws are clustered at the gates of the state Legislature, fueled by support that’s often bipartisan and likely to pass.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
  • None of the birds from the flock have entered the food system, according to the Mississippi board.
    — Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of flock
Verb
  • There are six monochrome colors to choose from, and the good news for shoppers who find that their pants tend to run too short or too long is that each colorway has the option to choose between a 31- or 29-inch inseam.
    — Annita Katee, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2025
  • This time, my dog took off and ran into the yard of a house bordering the park.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of ran
Verb
  • Some associates of the anti-government militant Ammon Bundy rode along with him.
    — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
  • After Thompson was gunned down, police said, Mangione ran off, rode into Central Park on a bike, ditched it on the Upper West Side, then took a taxi to the Port Authority bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge and escaped from the city.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of rode
Verb
  • Chappell and Webb have pushed each other out of their comfort zones to create some truly remarkable work in 2024.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Some pushed Biden, who also did not commute the death sentences of military members, to do more.
    — Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of pushed
Noun
  • Taylor Hill and Barbara Palvin made fast friends in the front row, with swarms of photographers snapping the two together.
    — Rhonda Richford, WWD, 6 Mar. 2025
  • However, what stood out most was not the iconic monuments but the relentless swarm of locals pushing donkey and camel rides on him.
    — Emese Maczko, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of swarm
Verb
  • Hardman, who played collegiately at Georgia, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Lionsgate Canada and Piller/Segan are making it for Corus Entertainment network Global, reuniting the trio four year after the end of Private Eyes, which ran from 2016-2021.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of run
Verb
  • The bipartisan vote for release marks a significant shift, as Republicans in the full House had previously blocked two Democratic resolutions that would have compelled the report's release.
    — Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Without China making the first move, Chinese firms will be compelled by genuine market forces rather than often heavy-handed and inefficient state mandates to realize Xi’s vision.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of compelled
Verb
  • Fink and Mellon’s efficiency-minded approach, abandoning unprofitable track and cutting the number of workers required to operate trains, sparked major labor strikes but also helped modernize the industry.
    — Zach Everson, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The photo, which has gained widespread attention, has sparked a mix of reactions online.
    — Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of sparked

Browse Nearby Words

drove
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drove.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drove. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on drove

Nglish: Translation of drove for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All