Synonyms

push off

British

verb

Also: push out. to move into open water, as by being cast off from a mooring
informal (intr) to go away; leave

"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 off Idioms

Also, shove off. Leave, set out, depart, as in The patrol pushed off before dawn, or It's time to shove off. This usage alludes to the literal meaning of a person in a boat pushing against the bank or dock to move away from the shore. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

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.

The charitable interpretation of Ms. Cheng’s visit is that her party thinks Taiwan’s best bet is to soothe Mr. Xi and push off a crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Such a scenario could delay or even push off any Fed rate cuts this year.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

A group of cyclists had been waiting patiently for their turn to push off in what was a regular time trial event.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

A 2025 trial conclusion could also "throw a potential wrench into efforts by Cannon to push off the MAL docs case," national security lawyer Bradley Moss tweeted, referring to Trump's Florida federal criminal case.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2023

I will just have to hope they do not check the cargo hold for stowaways before we push off.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023