push
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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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the act of pushing; a shove or thrust.
She gave the toy car a quick push, and it sailed off the ramp.
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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.
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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.
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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:
A major heat wave across Southern California’s interior is expected to push temperatures into the triple digits this week, further elevating the fire threat and raising concerns about health risks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
So “even if domestic supply remains sufficient, any sustained disruption to flows through the Strait of Hormuz would push Brent and WTI benchmarks higher, increasing fuel costs worldwide,” Abuagla said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
BRADLEY: I push back on that very much, because we are not a business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Greece, France and Spain led a push last year for limiting minors' access to social media, with pressure intensifying on the EU executive to establish a bloc-wide ban like Australia did in December.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
In my closet, I push aside the dresses and jackets dangling from hangers and pull out a plastic bin stuffed with Dad’s favorite T-shirts.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Recognizing that the more our lives are mediated with digital tools the harder it becomes to live without them has catalyzed less explicitly political pushes for offline attention as well.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
Normally, the onshore flow — a west-to-southwest wind that creates the ocean breeze and pushes air away from the coasts — would push the particulate matter with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
A worker pushes pallets of water bottles and other items into Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Insurers could still step in for 2028, but nothing compels them to, and they balked once for a simple reason: Covering this category pushes premiums higher for everyone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The sand under Woo shifts in plots and mounds, then pushes him toward me like a stick in a river.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
As inflation has pushed many everyday prices above familiar thresholds, products that remain below those thresholds may stand out more than before, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
An oblivious biker pushed past the world-renowned classical musician.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
That some officials who once pushed for cuts are now entertaining increases shows how the ground has shifted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Now, on two Sundays two weeks apart, Stokes has walked and McCullum has been pushed.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
I started the stitch three times and then pushed the needle through the hide and slowly pulled, snugging up the beads almost like Sela had.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
One of the people pushing for his release was Duckworth.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
Meta is pushing to popularize its AI-enabled, camera-equipped smartglasses as part of a plan to control the next phase of the internet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
More than £2bn of Welsh government money was spent on social housing in the last Senedd, with rising prices and higher building standards pushing up costs.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
“I wouldn’t call this a mass stabbing,” Cuellar said, pushing back on earlier media reports of the incident that said “at least” five people were seriously hurt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
At one point there is a long uphill grade—over a mile—and I lope alongside the sled easily, lightly, pushing gently to help the dogs.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
