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

"The fact that you see this across people and animal models suggests there is an evolutionary driving force," Fernandez said.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

It’s unlikely that, even if fraud occurred, she was the driving force behind any of it.

From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2026

It could be a last show for Saint Laurent's Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello, who has been the driving force behind the brand's success for the past decade but is reportedly heading for the exit.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Cole called Wolfe “the driving force from day one. He collected it, he sold it, he advertised it. His unique personality goes along with the collection in many respects.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

The driving force behind Soviet women flying in combat was the world-famous pilot and navigator Marina Raskova.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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