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

“The Devil Wears Prada” taught me to appreciate film in a profound, scholarly way that would later become my life’s driving force.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

What was the driving force behind telling this story and why now, more than a decade after his death?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Many cite “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt, who blames tech for teen anxiety, as a driving force.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

At its peak, Unity was a wildly popular game engine and the driving force behind viral crazes like Pokémon Go.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

But even that dynamic wasn’t unique; the same thing was happening in Wes’s neighborhood, where Hopkins was the driving force of change, aimed at improving the quality of life for students and faculty.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore