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

See Examples For:

driving force

Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said parts of the Mediterranean and Atlantic were unusually warm but the developing El Nino "is probably the driving force" behind the record sea temperatures.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

He was also the driving force behind AlphaGo, which won the most important Go match ever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

In the view of Callie Cox, chief market strategist at Ritholtz Wealth Management, investors have to brace for more market swings, with inflation back as the driving force of the broader market from now on.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

McCreary says Brendan is often the driving force of their lyrical efforts, and “sometimes we co-write with other people. Claudio Sanchez wrote all the lyrics on ‘Sweet Misery.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

For a start, Newcomen could not have devised his engine without knowing about the pressure of the atmosphere, since this provides its driving force.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton