propel

American  

[pruh-pel] / prəˈpɛl /

verb (used with object)

propelled, propelling

1. to drive, or cause to move, forward or onward.

   to propel a boat by rowing.

   Synonyms:

   prod, push

2. to impel or urge onward.

   Urgent need of money propelled him to take a job.

   Synonyms:

   prod, push

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propel British  

/ prəˈpɛl /

verb

1. (tr) to impel, drive, or cause to move forwards

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Other Word Forms

• unpropelled adjective

Etymology

Origin of propel

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English propellen “to expel,” from Latin prōpellere “to drive forward,” from prō- pro- ¹ + pellere “to drive, push, strike”

Example Sentences

“AI favors firsthand experience, specificity and continuously refreshed discussions. So the more activity that is happening around your brand, the more likely you are to be propelled into the conversation.”

From The Wall Street Journal

While the enthusiasm around AI that propelled Palantir and other tech companies last year has waned, the analysts at Morgan Stanley say Palantir’s competitive footing is unshakable.

From Barron's

A loyal following of a largely younger group of fans propelled them to six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 charts and multiple Grammy nominations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. White claims it may be possible to create a “warp drive” that would propel spacecraft faster than the speed of light by distorting spacetime using a field of negative energy.

From The Wall Street Journal

While EV charging infrastructure grew in 2025, most public chargers have a fraction of the power needed to propel a Semi across America promptly—let alone fleets of them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• drive
• push
• send
• shoot
• thrust