driving force

Idioms  

1. The impetus, power, or energy behind something in motion, as in He was clearly the driving force in the new administration. This term transfers the force that sets in motion an engine or vehicle to other enterprises. Ralph Waldo Emerson was among the first to use it figuratively (English Traits, 1856): “The ability of its journals is the driving force.”

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Example Sentences

Hardenberg has for years been a driving force in trying to draw significant foreign investment to Greenland.

From The Wall Street Journal

McSweeney had been a key adviser to Starmer and was widely seen as having been the driving force behind Labour’s return to power in 2024 after 14 years of Conservative government.

From The Wall Street Journal

China has become a driving force behind the metals mania that has captivated traders around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her father, Arthur, was a driving force in her skating career.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead of trying to eliminate noise, the system uses it as the driving force behind cooling.

From Science Daily