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

That fear is still a driving force; Amazon, Meta and Google’s parent all used their quarterly reports three months ago to project big jumps in capital spending this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

WASHINGTON—At a recent gathering of tech executives and lawmakers, David Sacks pitched artificial intelligence as a driving force of the U.S. economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 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 the firm was originally focused on gaming and is still a driving force of innovation in the industry.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

All eyes are on an agent: a protagonist, a mover and shaker, a driving force.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker