drive 1 of 2

verb

ˈdrīv How to pronounce drive (audio)
Definition of drivenext
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

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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

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4
as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure the corrupt governor was driven out of office

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

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drive

2 of 2

noun

1
as in road
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel raced our motorcycles along the drive

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

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3
as in desire
a strong wish for something a drive to succeed in the television news business

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in energy
active strength of body or mind senior citizens who exercise regularly are more likely to have the drive to keep up with their grandchildren

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5
as in ambition
readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity a great opportunity for a sales representative who is full of drive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
This heat drives the park’s geysers and hot springs while producing frequent earthquakes and gradual changes in the ground. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 Even though the new Whopper cost Burger King franchisees an extra $4,000 a year, the chain advised local owners not to raise prices, promising the investment will drive up sales. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
But Storozhuk would have to go to Donetsk to pick it up, an hour-long drive that required passing through several checkpoints. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 The union drive really traces back to February 2025, when Google removed language from its public AI Principles committing not to build AI for weapons or surveillance that violates international norms. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive
  1. run
  2. motor
  3. push
  4. force
  5. activate
  6. move
  7. travel
  8. road
Verb
  • Founded in 1968 to run exchanges with the Soviet bloc, IREX was built for precisely the kind of competition the United States now faces again.
    — James K. Glassman, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Investigators analyzed data from more than 1,700 participants in a long-running study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of run
Verb
  • Yoshida began the top of the 10th as the automatic runner on second, but immediately motored to third on a first-pitch sacrifice bunt by Wong and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Seigler.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of motor
Verb
  • Millard expects to push that number to about 200,000 with improvements to the company’s methods and some additional infrastructure.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Forbes contributor David Phelan highlights contrasting reports that the iPhone Ultra is either on course for a full release or will be either restricted at launch or pushed back into October.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of push
Verb
  • The exact timetable for his recovery isn’t known; the injury will force him out of at least a portion of the regular season.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of force
Verb
  • Compliant Technologies says the devices function as a normal pair of patrol gloves until officers press a switch to activate their electrical mode.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The attacker on the other side of the keyboard would likely be able to activate the mechanisms in the credential management app to log in to a site or download all the passwords.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of activate
Verb
  • The Gemini Moon moves through your 9th House of Learning and sextiles the Leo Sun in your 11th House of Community, helping big-picture thinking connect with friends, groups, or shared goals.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Though less significant than the Strait of Hormuz, around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, once passed through Bab el-Mandeb, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of move
Verb
  • For the next minute, the military-like fanfare travels from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, out across the airwaves of the world.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And with another Formula One weekend approaching, bringing precisely the international, high-spending and well-travelled customer this property was designed to attract, that decision looks to be a winner.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of travel
Noun
  • Heavy deposits could collapse roofs, contaminate water, damage machinery, bury crops, disrupt power networks, and make roads difficult to use.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Torrential downpours routinely inundate roads and railway lines, disrupt air and rail traffic.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of road

Browse Nearby Words

drips
drive
drive (away or off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on drive

Nglish: Translation of drive for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drive

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