push-pull

American  

[poosh-pool] / ˈpʊʃˈpʊl /

noun

1. Radio. a two-tube symmetrical arrangement in which the grid excitation voltages are opposite in phase.

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adjective

1. of or relating to electronic devices having components with balanced signals opposite in phase.

push-pull British  

noun

1. using two similar electronic devices, such as matched valves, made to operate 180° out of phase with each other. The outputs are combined to produce a signal that replicates the input waveform

   a push-pull amplifier

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Etymology

Origin of push-pull

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

push-pull

The answer was in a push-pull between Banderas’ chef and Leo Woodall’s bad-boy cook Sal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

That has kept the top rates just under 4% for several months — not out of inactivity, but because the push-pull keeps a swing from happening in either direction.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

Yes, there’s plenty of push-pull in the areas around an aerial view of the body of water—painted in a dull green and looking quite like a giant pickle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

Together, Johansson and Bailey prop up a flagging franchise, but their combined magnetism creates a frustrating push-pull effect with the movie’s well-trodden narrative beats.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2025

But with really good partners, all you need is just the push-pull suggestion.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey