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
- outpush verb (used with object)
- unpushed adjective
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”; pulsate
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.
No, the picture is not entirely doom and gloom — the push for renewable energy is breaking all kinds of records, too, reaching roughly 50% of global energy capacity last year.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
Sticky inflation could push the Fed to take a more hawkish approach, and higher interest rates aren’t good for tech stocks.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
The drama is coming to the BBC as part of plans to tell "authentic Welsh stories", forming a wider push to increase representation across the UK.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Instead, it integrates many disparate elements of a business’ enterprise tech stack and internal models or processes, and is able to push out decisions through read-write loops while maintaining compliance and data validation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The bus stop is across the big street, but there’s no walk button to push, so I wait for the light, look both ways, then grip Boo’s hand as we run across.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
