motor 1 of 2

noun

ˈmō-tər How to pronounce motor (audio)
Definition of motornext
1
as in engine
a device that changes energy into mechanical motion the device was equipped with a small electrical motor to make the gears spin

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2
as in car
a self-propelled passenger vehicle on four wheels went shopping for a new automobile at Valley Motors

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motor

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly effortlessly motored past the other runners for a first-place finish

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drive
to travel by a motorized vehicle motoring along the highway at the speed limit

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of motor
Noun
Tabless battery cells, a split-path battery management system and a motor vent that lets air flow through are meant to double continuous power delivery. — New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026 Contributing to that very impressive range is the new cylindrical cell battery pack, which uses a cell-to-body approach that maximizes energy density, along with the aforementioned new sixth-gen motors. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
Owen Caissie was hit by a pitch and motored to third on Mack’s single. — August 15, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026 Yoshida began the top of the 10th as the automatic runner on second, but immediately motored to third on a first-pitch sacrifice bunt by Wong and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Seigler. — Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for motor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motor
  1. engine
  2. car
  3. speed
  4. drive
  5. machine
  6. automobile
  7. race
  8. tool
Noun
  • Second is to improve the innovation engine, third is to restore topline growth to the company’s historic rates and last, to continue to protect and enhance the brands.
    — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • It was reported that the vehicle could also be the first from the brand to feature a flat-eight engine.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of engine
Noun
  • Leapmotor, meanwhile, maintained rapid growth, with deliveries topping 100,000 cars a month since July.
    — Matthew Tan,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • By merging the two failing car companies, Marchionne created the seventh-largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, increasing Fiat’s value more than tenfold.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of car
Verb
  • Content creator Leah Victoria has turned the recipes she's known for online @leahscucina into a new cookbook full of recipes for busy parents, at-home cooks and anyone looking to speed up their dinner routine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Sometimes that’s true, especially now that AI can speed up prototyping and development.
    — Malte Kramer, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of speed
Verb
  • The reason for that is the unquenching market need for solid factual projects that can both be popular on linear channels and drive older viewers to streaming services.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The urgency of their push comes as major European companies undergo huge job losses — Volkswagen plans to cut 100,000 workers — which experts have said could drive political upheaval.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Lab technician Aleksej Kubelka carefully opened the large machine and slid out a tray.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers at Fudan University in China have bypassed onboard storage entirely by turning the ground beneath the machine into a power supply.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • The worst idea is a finalized regulatory rule — rolling back fuel economy standards for automobiles that had been strengthened during the Biden administration.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In 2025, the Chinese battery maker CATL unveiled an automobile battery that relies on traditional chemistry to charge in just five minutes; the company also has perfected the mass production of next-generation sodium-ion batteries.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of automobile
Verb
  • The bet runs against the massive investment pouring into AI infrastructure, as technology companies race to secure the computing power needed to develop and run increasingly advanced AI models.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Streets follows an East LA street racing crew thrust into a dangerous, high-stakes hunt across Southern California, where every turn presents a new clue and a potential disaster.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • One of the industry’s biggest challenges is tooling, as manufacturers must design, fabricate, and qualify physical dies and molds before production can begin.
    — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Hig spends his days tooling around in an old Cessna, looking for supplies, survivors or signs of life, trying to stay ahead of scavengers known as Reapers, when he is drawn outside the perimeter and finds Cima (Margaret Qualley).
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 30 July 2026
Definition of tool

Phrases Containing motor

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motleys
motor
motorboat
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Cite this Entry

“Motor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motor. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor

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