push

[ poosh ]

/ pʊʃ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: push / pushed / pushes / pushing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to press upon or against (a thing) with force in order to move it away.

to move (something) in a specified way by exerting force; shove; drive: to push something aside; to push the door open.

to effect or accomplish by thrusting obstacles aside: to push one's way through the crowd.

to cause to extend or project; thrust.

to press or urge to some action or course: His mother pushed him to get a job.

to press (an action, proposal, etc.) with energy and insistence: to push a bill through Congress.

to carry (an action or thing) toward a conclusion or extreme: She pushed the project to completion.

to press the adoption, use, sale, etc., of: to push inferior merchandise on customers.

to press or bear hard upon, as in dealings with someone: The prosecutor pushed him for an answer.

to put into difficulties because of the lack of something specified (usually followed by for): to be pushed for time.

Slang. to peddle (illicit drugs).

Informal. to be approaching a specific age, speed, or the like: The maestro is pushing ninety-two.

Photography. to modify (film processing) to compensate for underexposure.

verb (used without object)

to exert a thrusting force upon something.

to use steady force in moving a thing away; shove.

to make one's way with effort or persistence, as against difficulty or opposition.

to extend or project; thrust: The point of land pushed far out into the sea.

to put forth vigorous or persistent efforts.

Slang. to sell illicit drugs.

to move on being pushed: a swinging door that pushes easily.

noun

the act of pushing; a shove or thrust.

a contrivance or part to be pushed in order to operate a mechanism.

a vigorous onset or effort.

a determined advance against opposition, obstacles, etc.

a vigorous and determined military attack or campaign: The big push began in April.

the pressure of circumstances, activities, etc.

Informal. persevering energy; enterprise.

Informal. a crowd or company of people.

British. dismissal from a job; sack.

Australian Slang. a gang of hoodlums.

Verb Phrases

push around, to treat contemptuously and unfairly; bully: She's not the kind of person who can be pushed around.

push back,

to make the date or time of (an event) later than originally planned.
to oppose or resist a plan, action, statement, etc.: The board members are starting to push back against criticism from the public.

push off, Informal. to go away; depart: We stopped at Denver for the night and were ready to push off again the following morning.

push on, to press forward; continue; proceed: The pioneers, despite overwhelming obstacles, pushed on across the plains.

OTHER WORDS FOR push

3 shoulder.

5 persuade, impel.

See synonyms for push on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about push

push one's luck. luck (def. 12).

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.

Origin of push

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pushen, poshen, posson (verb) <Middle French pousser, Old French po(u)lser, from Latin pulsāre. See pulsate

OTHER WORDS FROM push

outpush, verb (used with object)un·pushed, adjective

Words nearby push

purview, pus, Pusan, Pusey, Puseyism, push, push about, push along, push around, pushback, pushball

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use push in a sentence

Many of them plan to help finance the latest push for new, K-12 curriculum.
Online learning provider Everfi makes $100 million commitment for curriculum that pushes for social change|Michal Lev-Ram, writer|September 15, 2020|Fortune
The United States already has more carbon-capture facilities than any other country in the world and could seize global market leadership with a concerted innovation push from the government.
To confront the climate crisis, the US should launch a National Energy Innovation Mission|Amy Nordrum|September 15, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Though the 2019 study observed that the watch tended to undercount wheelchair pushes, I found that the watch tended to overestimate my number of pushes slightly.
Smart Watches Could Do More For Wheelchair Users|John Loeppky|September 4, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Even so, buyers say the push to constantly replan as well as to generate “good results” for clients even with economic uncertainty has been draining.
‘Seemingly nonstop’: Constant requests to replan and retool campaigns is getting to media buyers|Kristina Monllos|September 2, 2020|Digiday

The smaller HomePod will help Apple renew its push into the smart home at a lower price, albeit with fewer speakers inside the device than the current $299 model.
Apple is prepping 75 million 5G iPhones for later this year|radmarya|September 1, 2020|Fortune
Instead, straighten your civic backbone and push back in clear conscience.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In Afghanistan, there was a push to take back the southern province Helmand.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Doubling down on Schedule I is, at best, a deranged way to push Americans away from “medical,” and toward recreational, use.
Obama’s Pot Policy Is Refer Madness|James Poulos|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After some animated debate at the conference, Lelaie declared, with some frustration, “If you push on the stick, you will fly.”
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Slowly, two were opened up, and in 2010 the regional government opened all four Brogpa villages in a push for tourism.
The Himalayas’ Hidden Aryans|Nina Strochlic|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The sense of bearing on to the voice, or endeavoring to push the tone by any pressure whatever, should be absolutely avoided.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Thereupon the governor attacked him alone, and giving a violent push on the door, opened it.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
One Turkish Company, about a hundred strong, was making an ugly push within rifle shot of our ship.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
A resolute push for quite a short period now might reconstruct the entire basis of our collective human life.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
His only chance of ultimate recovery was to push boldly forward, and to betray no fear of failure.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for push

push

/ (pʊʃ) /

verb

(when tr, often foll by off, away, etc) to apply steady force to (something) in order to move it

to thrust (one's way) through something, such as a crowd, by force

(when intr, often foll by for) to apply oneself vigorously (to achieving a task, plan, etc)

(tr) to encourage or urge (a person) to some action, decision, etc

(when intr, often foll by for) to be an advocate or promoter (of)to push for acceptance of one's theories

(tr) to use one's influence to help (a person)to push one's own candidate

to bear upon (oneself or another person) in order to achieve more effort, better results, etcshe was a woman who liked to push her husband

(tr) to take undue risks, esp through overconfidence, thus risking failureto push one's luck
(intr) to act overconfidently

sport to hit (a ball) with a stiff pushing stroke

(tr) informal to sell (narcotic drugs) illegally

(intr; foll by out, into, etc) (esp of geographical features) to reach or extendthe cliffs pushed out to the sea

(tr) to overdevelop (a photographic film), usually by the equivalent of up to two stops, to compensate for underexposure or increase contrast

push up daisies or push up the daisies slang to be dead and buried

noun

the act of pushing; thrust

a part or device that is pressed to operate some mechanism

informal ambitious or enterprising drive, energy, etc

informal a special effort or attempt to advance, as of an army in a warto make a push

informal a number of people gathered in one place, such as at a party

Australian slang a group or gang, esp one considered to be a clique

sport a stiff pushing stroke

at a push informal with difficulty; only just

the push informal, mainly British dismissal, esp from employment

when push comes to shove informal when matters become critical; when a decision needs to be made

Word Origin for push

C13: from Old French pousser, from Latin pulsāre, from pellere to drive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

push

OTHER WORDS FOR push

Idioms about push

Origin of push

OTHER WORDS FROM push

Words nearby push

Words related to push

How to use push in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for push

Word Origin for push