Synonyms of drives

drives 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drive

1

as in runs

to urge, push, or force onward

cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco

Synonyms & Similar Words

• runs
• herds
• punches
• shepherds
• whips
• presses
• spurs
• prompts
• eggs
• exhorts
• prods
• wrangles
• goads
• pricks
• hounds
• flogs
• scourges

2

as in motors

to travel by a motorized vehicle

I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• motors
• automobiles
• tools
• rides
• races
• wheels
• rolls
• taxis
• drags
• chauffeurs
• joyrides
• hacks

3

as in pushes

to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one

drove the plunger into the opening

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pushes
• shoves
• propels
• thrusts
• moves
• jams
• squeezes
• forces
• impels
• pressures
• bears (down)
• compels
• compresses
• weighs (upon)
• depresses
• squashes
• muscles
• rams
• leans (on or against)
• bulldozes

4

as in compels

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

the corrupt governor was driven out of office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• compels
• forces
• coerces
• obliges
• obligates
• pressures
• impels
• constrains
• presses
• impresses
• makes
• muscles
• blackmails
• intimidates
• dragoons
• bullies
• sandbags
• drags
• threatens
• cows
• bulldozes
• twists one's arm
• browbeats
• terrorizes
• blackjacks
• shames
• menaces
• harasses
• hectors
• high-pressures
• badgers
• hounds

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• allows
• permits
• lets
• moves
• argues
• induces
• satisfies
• talks (into)
• wins (over)
• prevails (on or upon)
• convinces
• persuades

5

as in activates

to cause to function

machinery driven by waterpower

Synonyms & Similar Words

• activates
• triggers
• sparks
• moves
• fuels
• generates
• powers
• starts
• runs
• ignites
• sets off
• pushes
• provokes
• actuates
• turns on
• cranks (up)
• touches off
• fires
• charges
• electrifies
• launches
• stimulates
• energizes
• trips
• switches
• turns over
• releases
• accelerates
• discharges
• incites
• kicks over
• excites
• arouses
• recharges
• reactivates
• instigates
• stirs up
• catalyzes
• quickens
• speeds (up)
• jump-starts
• kick-starts
• steps up
• vitalizes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• kills
• cuts
• stops
• brakes
• turns off
• cuts out
• shuts off
• arrests
• checks
• sticks
• stalls
• halts
• jams
• cuts off
• slows
• deactivates
• draws up
• suppresses
• represses
• decelerates
• stunts

6

as in moves

to set or keep in motion

this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moves
• activates
• propels
• works
• impels
• actuates
• stimulates
• triggers
• motivates
• provokes
• raises
• trips
• incites
• stirs (up)
• ferments
• sets off
• inspires
• whips (up)
• abets
• excites
• foments
• arouses
• rouses
• fires (up)
• instigates
• galvanizes
• inflames

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• contains
• regulates
• controls
• restrains
• inhibits
• checks
• curbs
• constrains
• reins (in)
• bridles

7

as in speeds

to proceed or move quickly

the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop

Synonyms & Similar Words

• speeds
• travels
• rushes
• races
• hurries
• scurries
• flies
• chases
• trots
• runs
• zips
• jumps
• buzzes
• blows
• scoots
• rips
• jogs
• rams
• steps
• dashes
• shoots
• scuttles
• blasts
• motors
• zooms
• darts
• bowls
• tears
• hustles
• whirls
• bolts
• hurls
• barrels
• courses
• blazes
• hastens
• whisks
• hurtles
• belts
• careens
• rustles
• careers
• cracks (on)
• jets
• humps
• bustles
• bundles
• hies
• nips
• beats it
• rockets
• breezes
• steps on it
• pelts
• hares
• gallops
• makes tracks
• bombs
• gets a move on
• accelerates
• shakes a leg
• flits
• highballs
• scampers
• cannonballs
• hotfoots (it)
• sprints
• whizzes
• overtakes
• streaks
• stampedes
• outruns
• beetles
• outpaces
• quickens
• outstrips
• scuds
• steps out
• scuffles
• arrows
• catches up
• beelines
• fast-forwards

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• crawls
• drags
• lingers
• pokes
• lags
• creeps
• hangs (around or out)
• pokes
• loiters
• strolls
• dawdles
• shuffles
• saunters
• ambles
• tarries
• dallies
• slows (down or up)
• plods
• lumbers
• decelerates
• dillydallies

drives

2 of 2

noun

plural of drive

1

as in highways

a passage cleared for public vehicular travel

raced our motorcycles along the drive

Synonyms & Similar Words

• highways
• roads
• streets
• routes
• freeways
• thoroughfares
• expressways
• roadways
• carriageways
• boulevards
• arteries
• turnpikes
• passes
• arterials
• ways
• causeways
• lanes
• interstates
• drags
• avenues
• rows
• pike
• thruways
• traces
• high roads
• motorways
• bypasses
• parkways
• corridors
• trails
• superhighways
• alleys
• tracks
• through streets
• autobahns
• side streets
• ring roads
• beltways
• switchbacks
• secondary roads
• Main Streets
• crossroads
• dual carriageways
• byways
• branches
• side roads
• circles
• autostradas
• alleyways
• places
• dead ends
• autoroutes
• backstreets
• corniches
• high streets
• closes
• shunpikes
• bystreets
• mews
• cul-de-sacs
• laneways

2

as in campaigns

a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal

a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band

Synonyms & Similar Words

• campaigns
• movements
• pushes
• causes
• crusades
• initiatives
• marches
• projects
• juggernauts
• actions
• bandwagons
• blitzes
• bids
• attacks
• maneuvers
• assaults
• missions
• offensives
• enterprises
• undertakings

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of drives

Verb

Imagining an eternity of this, Creasy disables his car’s braking system and drives into a concrete pylon. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026

Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during game five of the first round playoffs against the Orlando Magic last night. —Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026

The ruling should be effective for a period of time and for any vehicle the person drives in the future. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026

Officers established a perimeter around the 300 block of Gibson Drive, closing roadways west of the scene near Trehowell and Castaic drives, along with several side streets, the Roseville Police Department said. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026

This drives me crazy, too, because the fix couldn’t be more obvious. —Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026

This is realised when employees can see how their contributions actually map to the organization’s mission and vision, which drives a collective sense of achievement and meaningfulness. —Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026

The introduction of restrictive gun legislation historically drives up sales, according to The Trace. —Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026

Steven Mayer, who drives full-time, said the jump in gas prices has been significant. —Derek James, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026

Noun

Step-backs, deep 3s, power drives, trips to the line – every element of their games was on display, and every possession seemed to raise the stakes. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026

Bethea said Stokes not only can rattle the rim with spectacular dunks off drives to the basket, but can drill outside shots past the 3-point line. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026

While wearing your seatbelt and checking your mirrors frequently are the top priority, road trip experts also maintain a few other habits to stay alert and in good spirits on long drives. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026

The forceful drives turned into desperation jumpers. —Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Stengel said the plea on Monday involved registration drives in Lancaster, Berks and York counties. —ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026

Sandisk is a major maker of solid-state drives, which rely on what's known as NAND memory, a type of flash memory that stores data even when devices are turned off. —Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026

Behind her, more than thirty thousand drives were shelved in antistatic bags on metal racks. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Consequently, 2025 saw many implement massive restructuring drives involving significant shifts both within beauty operations and across broader portfolios over the past year. —Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026