DRIVES Synonyms: 344 Similar and Opposite Words

drives 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drive

as in runs

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

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Relevance

as in motors

to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

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as in pushes

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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as in compels

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in activates

to cause to function machinery driven by waterpower

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as in moves

to set or keep in motion this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft

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as in speeds

to proceed or move quickly the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop

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drives

2 of 2

noun

plural of drive

as in highways

a passage cleared for public vehicular travel raced our motorcycles along the drive

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as in campaigns

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

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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 drives

Verb

Locarno Pro itself drives to identify opportunities during good times and industry malaise. — John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026 The longtime Disney executive had most recently served as chairman of Disney Experiences, the unit that includes the theme parks, cruise lines and consumer products, and which drives profitability for the company. — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 In mammalian aging, the abrupt changes show there is some kind of signaling that drives the system. — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 Females prefer these waters to reproduce, and during the summer male rays have a higher metabolism that drives them to seek out food in the invertebrates along the shore, Lowe said. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Again, that doesn’t really bother me because super-heavy energy recuperation drives me nuts, but there’s no practical reason the vehicle simply can’t retain that choice. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026 There’s no plugging-in and the petrol engine never drives the car. — New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026 But that’s also the thing that drives us to positive change, and nostalgia’s very much an ingredient of that. — Jinae West, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 Uptime drives revenue, reliability protects reputation, and service quality strengthens customer relationships. — Natalie Lemke, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Noun

The fourth-round pick played only 15 snaps but was solid, completing 5-of-7 passes for 65 yards and leading the Jets on two scoring drives. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026 Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield and Bo Nix will all get to lead drives, according to their respective head coaches. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Payton said this week the plan for Nix will be about 14 plays, so a couple of drives, depending on how productive the offense is early in the game. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026 When refugees from Syria and Rohingya started coming to the United States, Ibrahim said UMMA started coat drives, food boxes for refugees, and offered rental assistance to those who needed a place to live. — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) drives to the basket during a WNBA game between the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries on June 19, 2026 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 While generic drives can install disc games to the app, the Remix remains essential for cartridges. — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Back-to-back 3-and-out drives also didn’t help and Lake Mary only gained about 45 yards in the second half. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026 The first pick of the second round caught seven passes for 63 yards on his three drives, including two impressive catches on the TD drive. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives

Verb

Across the sector as a whole, average payout now runs closer to seven percent, but that average conceals where the money sits.

— Vandana Arcot, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
The deepening rift comes as da Silva, a leftist, runs for a fourth term.

— Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

Frank’s ruling keeps the proposal to raise the homestead exemption up to $250,000 for Florida property owners on the ballot, but compels Attorney General James Uthmeier to rewrite parts of the plan.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
The competitive pressure to achieve maximal adoption compels a convergence toward openness.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of compels

Verb

The result is a drug delivery system that activates only when needed, avoiding the risk of long-term administration of needlessly high doses.

— Mike McRae August 19, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
Whether positive or challenging, everyone will see it while the Scorpio moon activates Jupiter.

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of activates

Noun

Trains and highways were shut down, and thousands of travelers were stranded at Narita International Airport, which serves Tokyo.

— NPR Staff, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Our internal highways are made up of intricate webs of nerves, arteries and glands that snake in and out of our organs.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026