driving force

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.”

Example Sentences

That loss becomes the driving force of the doc, with Maron’s grief informing his daily life and thought process, while also providing cathartic, darkly humorous fodder for his stand-up gigs.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, he is now Liverpool's driving force and will be a key figure in national coach Ronald Koeman's World Cup plans.

From BBC

Big profits haven’t seemed to be the driving force yet in the Ryder Cup, but like everything else in sports, that is likely to change.

From Los Angeles Times

It's a far cry from how she has brought up her own daughter, Aliyah, who works at the centre and is described as one of the driving forces there.

From BBC

He's very emotional, we saw that little spat at half-time against Fulham, but he's the driving force on the pitch and he keeps popping up with goals and drives that team forward.

From BBC