push
Americanverb (used with object)
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pushes,
present (3rd person singular)
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pushed,
past participle, past
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pushing
present participle
-
to press upon or against (a person or thing).
He pushed the doorbell a few times and heard it ring.
You have to push the door open, not pull it.
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to move (something or someone) in a specified way by exerting force; shove; drive.
Just push the footstool aside if it's in your way.
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to make (one's way) by thrusting obstacles aside.
She pushed her way through the crowd.
- Synonyms:
- shoulder
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to cause to extend or project; thrust.
She pushed her arms into the robe's sleeves and straightened the lapels.
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to press or urge to some action or course.
His mother pushed him to get a job.
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to press (an action, proposal, etc.) with energy and insistence.
Legislators are redoubling their efforts to push a bill through Congress that would provide aid to struggling restaurant owners.
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to carry (an action or thing) toward a conclusion or extreme.
She pushed the project to completion.
You're pushing your analogy to the point of absurdity.
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to press the adoption, use, sale, etc., of.
The sales associates here are aggressive and push inferior merchandise on customers.
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to press or bear hard upon, as in dealings with someone.
The prosecutor pushed him for an answer.
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to put into difficulties because of the lack of something specified (usually followed byfor ).
I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm really pushed for time.
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Slang. to peddle (illicit drugs).
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Informal. to be approaching a specific age, speed, or the like.
The maestro is pushing ninety-two.
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Photography. to modify (film processing) to compensate for underexposure.
verb (used without object)
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pushes,
present (3rd person singular)
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pushed,
past participle, past
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pushing
present participle
-
to exert a thrusting force upon something.
Even if you push hard on the shelf, there's no give, thanks to its sturdy construction.
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to use steady force in moving a thing away; shove.
If you push while I steer, I think we can get the car out of the rut.
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to make one's way with effort or persistence, as against difficulty or opposition.
She pushed through the trees and came to a small clearing.
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to extend or project; thrust.
The point of land pushed far out into the sea.
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to put forth vigorous or persistent efforts.
If you really push, you might be a partner in the law firm within a few years.
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Slang. to sell illicit drugs.
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to move when pushed.
We swapped that heavy sliding door for a swinging door that pushes easily.
noun
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pushes
plural
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the act of pushing; a shove or thrust.
She gave the toy car a quick push, and it sailed off the ramp.
-
a vigorous onset or effort.
He didn't get the start he wanted in the race and had to make a push to catch up.
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a determined advance against opposition, obstacles, etc..
One last push, and we'll be finished with the project.
-
a vigorous and determined military attack or campaign.
The big push began in April, when the troops were all gathered and equipped.
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the pressure of circumstances, activities, etc.
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Digital Technology. push notification.
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Informal. persevering energy; enterprise.
You have the push, but you also need to sustain that energy for political commitment.
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Informal. a crowd or company of people.
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British. dismissal from a job; sack.
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Australian Slang. a gang of hoodlums.
adjective
verb phrase
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push around to treat contemptuously and unfairly; bully.
She's not the kind of person who can be pushed around.
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push on to press forward; continue; proceed.
The pioneers, despite overwhelming obstacles, pushed on across the plains.
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push back
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to make the date or time of (an event) later than originally planned.
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to oppose or resist a plan, action, statement, etc..
The board members are starting to push back against criticism from the public.
-
-
push off to go away; depart.
We stopped in Denver for the night and were ready to push off again the following morning.
idioms
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when / if push comes to shove, when or if matters are ultimately confronted or resolved; when or if a problem must be faced; in a crucial situation.
If push comes to shove, the government will impose quotas on imports.
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push one's luck. luck.
verb
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to apply steady force to (something) in order to move it
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to thrust (one's way) through something, such as a crowd, by force
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to apply oneself vigorously (to achieving a task, plan, etc)
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(tr) to encourage or urge (a person) to some action, decision, etc
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to be an advocate or promoter (of)
to push for acceptance of one's theories
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(tr) to use one's influence to help (a person)
to push one's own candidate
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to bear upon (oneself or another person) in order to achieve more effort, better results, etc
she was a woman who liked to push her husband
-
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(tr) to take undue risks, esp through overconfidence, thus risking failure
to push one's luck
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(intr) to act overconfidently
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sport to hit (a ball) with a stiff pushing stroke
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informal (tr) to sell (narcotic drugs) illegally
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(intr; foll by out, into, etc) (esp of geographical features) to reach or extend
the cliffs pushed out to the sea
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(tr) to overdevelop (a photographic film), usually by the equivalent of up to two stops, to compensate for underexposure or increase contrast
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slang to be dead and buried
noun
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the act of pushing; thrust
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a part or device that is pressed to operate some mechanism
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informal ambitious or enterprising drive, energy, etc
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informal a special effort or attempt to advance, as of an army in a war
to make a push
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informal a number of people gathered in one place, such as at a party
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slang a group or gang, esp one considered to be a clique
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sport a stiff pushing stroke
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informal with difficulty; only just
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informal dismissal, esp from employment
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informal when matters become critical; when a decision needs to be made
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pushsimple
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pushessimple
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have pushedperfect
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has pushedperfect
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am pushingprogressive
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are pushingprogressive
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is pushingprogressive
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have been pushingperfect progressive
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has been pushingperfect progressive
Past
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pushedsimple
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had pushedperfect
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was pushingprogressive
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were pushingprogressive
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had been pushingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of push
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pushen, poshen, posson (verb), from Middle French pousser, Old French po(u)lser, from Latin pulsāre “to batter, strike, make (strings) vibrate”; see pulsate
Explanation
When you push, you use force to make something move, usually by giving it a shove. You might push a cafe door open or push someone around to get your way. Bully! There's a physical way to push, and then there's a figurative way, when you make an extra effort: "If I push myself, I can finish this marathon." You can push other people too: "My parents push me to get good grades." The act of pushing is also a push: "Will you give me a push on the tire swing?" If you push someone around, you intimidate or control them.
Vocabulary lists containing push
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After Huang left his first White House meeting of Trump’s second term, a group of advisers huddled to discuss their concerns about his push to allow Nvidia to sell more chips to China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
"Spurs tried to push back and cut those references. Pochettino and I talked it over and decided that none of it would be touched. That shows how much it mattered to him."
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
It’s important to have those people that can really push you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
Yet in an interview the same day -- though broadcast on Sunday -- Trump conceded voters had been turned off by the aggressive deportation push.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
“And what happens if you don’t push it back? What if you let it overwhelm you?”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
When a bay is finished and its reflective components have been prepared, the robotic system pushes the completed section outward into space.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
“And, at a minimum, it pushes everyone down the search page. And then, on top of that, the experiences themselves are not traffic drivers.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
On Monday and over the weekend, candidates made their final pushes to persuade voters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
It is also likely, Hershon said, that Judge Sullivan pushes the lawyers on both sides to get a trial date on the calendar during Monday's hearing.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Candie comments on how good the food tastes and pushes to know more about Arlo’s love of cooking.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Inflation and supply-chain changes had already pushed the retail price of his $900 couch to about $1,250.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
Detailed measurements revealed deep, sharply defined depressions, elevated ridges, stepped surfaces, and areas where the metal appeared to have been pushed and displaced in overlapping patterns.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
Marra's predecessor, Anas Sarwar, had pushed for closer ties with the EU after Brexit but did not go as far as to call for the UK to re-join the bloc.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
That would reverse the 75 basis points in “insurance cuts” that the central bank pushed through in 2025.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
A jay followed them from tree to tree as they pushed on.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The telecommunication sector has emerged as one of the most financially strained corners of corporate America, where fierce competition, slowing growth and a challenging refinancing environment are pushing more operators into distress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
While at Chelsea, in a video for NBC Sports, Maresca discussed his tactics - moving counters into a 3-2-2-3 shape before pushing one up to create the 3-1-6 shape.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
BRENTWOOD: There’s no pushing around 6-7 junior Ethan Hill this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
It’s been a wild week for the AI trade, but that hasn’t deterred the Claude developer from pushing ahead with its public listing.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
She finally resorted to pushing it open with her feet.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
