: a conditioning exercise performed in a prone position by raising and lowering the body with the straightening and bending of the arms while keeping the back straight and supporting the body on the hands and toes

Examples of push-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With the Olympics in mind, van Gorp is breaking for up to two and a half hours each day, plus gym sessions and calisthenics – body-weight strength training like push-ups and sit-ups – in pursuit of winning gold. George Ramsay, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Thankfully, there are many great backless bras—plus bra-adjacent essentials, like backless bustiers, nipple covers, and push-up breast tape—that'll make your How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days dress dreams come true. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024 Anitta and her friends threw themselves into the moves — a particularly complex sequence involved push-ups. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 The British actor plays the lead role of Cash (all the characters have names like that), whose macho bona fides are established in the opening sequence in which he’s shown doing shirtless pull-ups and push-ups, his chiseled musculature clearly earned the hard way. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024 This swim top has the same push-up effect and increases your bust size by two for a curvier look this pool season. Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2024 In one clip, Cooke can be seen doing push-ups in his dressing room, while Radke recited Ron Burgundy's eclectic tongue twisters from Anchorman into his mirror in another. EW.com, 14 Feb. 2024 The bird dog starts in the same position as a push-up, only on your knees instead of supporting your weight on the tips of your toes. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024 Planks, push-ups, lunges, squats and pointers can all build strength, and regular stretching can cultivate flexibility. Danielle Friedman, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'push-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of push-up was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near push-up

Cite this Entry

“Push-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/push-up. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

push-up

noun
ˈpu̇sh-ˌəp
: an exercise performed while lying facedown by raising and lowering the body with the straightening and bending of the arms
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