push

1 of 3

verb

ˈpu̇sh 

pushed; pushing; pushes

transitive verb

1

a

: to press against with force in order to drive or impel

b

: to move or endeavor to move away or ahead by steady pressure without striking

2

a

: to thrust forward, downward, or outward

b

: to cause to increase : raise

push prices to record levels

c

: to try to move beyond or expand

push one's limits

d

: to hit (a ball) toward the right from a right-handed swing or toward the left from a left-handed swing compare pull

3

a

: to press or urge forward to completion

b

: to urge or press the advancement, adoption, or practice of

pushed a bill in the legislature

especially : to make aggressive efforts to sell

we're pushing ham this week

c

: to engage in the illicit sale of (narcotics)

4

: to bear hard upon so as to involve in difficulty

poverty pushed them to the breaking point

5

: to approach in age or number

grandmother must be pushing 75

intransitive verb

1

: to press against something with steady force in or as if in order to impel

2

: to press forward energetically against opposition

3

: to exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end

pushing for higher wages

push

2 of 3

noun

1

: a vigorous effort to attain an end : drive:

a

: a military assault or offensive

b

: an advance that overcomes obstacles

c

: a campaign to promote a product

2

: a time for action : emergency

3

a

: an act of pushing : shove

b(1)

: a physical force steadily applied in a direction away from the body exerting it

(2)

: a nonphysical pressure : influence, urge

c

: vigorous enterprise or energy

4

a

: an exertion of influence to promote another's interests

b

: stimulation to activity : impetus

PUSH

3 of 3

abbreviation

ˈpu̇sh 

People United to Serve Humanity

Phrases

push one's luck

: to take an increasing risk

push comes to shove

: a decisive moment comes

backed down when push came to shove

Synonyms

Verb

• drive
• propel
• shove
• thrust

Noun

• bandwagon
• blitz
• campaign
• cause
• crusade
• drive
• juggernaut
• movement

Examples of push in a Sentence

Verb

Do you want to push the shopping cart?

He slowly pushed the door open.

She pushed back her chair and stood up.

She pushed him aside and marched into the boss's office.

He pushed her out of the way.

He pushed me into the table.

He was pushed off the sidewalk into the street.

She pushed her wet hair back from her face.

The bulldozer pushed the rubble over the edge of the pit.

No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't move the boulder.

Noun

an unprecedented push to pass stronger gun control measures

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Following the global recession of 2007–2009, a nation that had binged on debt saw its main creditors—the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund—push austerity measures that caused the economy to shrink by a staggering 25%. —Adam Rasmi/athens, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024

Weinstein is widely credited with popularizing aggressive Oscar campaign tactics, changing the way that film studios pushed their films for awards recognition, and his name was one of the most frequent to be mentioned in Oscar acceptance speeches for many years. —Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024

Students have also prominently pushed for their universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2024

That dry spell was initially set to be broken last October, but after Hard Light’s release date got pushed back, the band decided to reschedule the shows for spring 2024, further drawing out anticipation for an event that longtime Drop Nineteens fans never expected to happen in the first place. —Eli Enis, SPIN, 25 Apr. 2024

Biden won all three states against Trump in 2020, and his campaign is pushing to carry them again to win reelection this November. —Susan Davis, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024

Boeing pushed back aggressively against his claims. —David Koenig, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024

The new entries also pushed Suits out of the top 10, ending the show’s run of 40 consecutive weeks in the rankings. —Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024

SoCal home prices All-cash offers and wealthy buyers push Southern California home prices to a record. —Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024

Noun

But thanks to a variety of factors — rapidly improving technology to create puzzles, a much wider array of outlets eager to publish them and a push to celebrate new voices — constructors today are more inclined to express themselves in their work. —Adrienne Raphel, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024

While there was a push to empty the adoption kennels that are being renovated, there are more dogs at the shelter. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Apr. 2024

Indeed, the finance sector has long been leading the back-to-office push, with varied levels of success. —Jane Thier, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024

Still, forcing ISPs to be more clear with consumers could be a small step toward improving competition among internet providers, and is part of a broader Biden administration push to fight junk fees and other misleading business practices, said a White House official on the call. —Brian Fung, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

Others include $1 million into a Retiree Rainy Day Fund for active and retired employees, $250,000 for capital improvements in Eastern Market and Councilman Young II's push for $2.6 million to build a new Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority dock. —Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024

Russian forces have mounted an aggressive push, backed by devastating glide bombs, to break through Ukrainian lines and capture more ground in the country’s east. —Alex Horton, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024

In his push for farmworker rights, Chavez believed securing the border would prevent employers from using undocumented workers as strike breakers which undermined the wages of Latino farmworkers. —Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024

Police arrested Epstein after Rose and an IT contractor for the town told police that the push did occur. —Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English possen, pusshen, probably from Old French pousser to exert pressure, from Latin pulsare, frequentative of pellere to drive, strike — more at felt

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing push

• at a push
• bell push
• cost-push
• get the push
• give (someone) the push
• knows how to push her buttons
• push around
• push aside
• push-bike
• push broom
• push button
• push comes to shove
• push/hit/press the panic button
• push in
• push it
• push off
• push on
• push one's buttons
• push one's luck
• push paper(s)
• push-pull
• push (something) out of one's mind
• push (something) to the back of one's mind
• push the boat out
• push the envelope
• push the right buttons
• push things
• push-up

Kids Definition

push

1 of 2 verb

ˈpu̇sh 

1

: to press against with force in order to drive

2

: to force forward, downward, or outward

3

: to go or make go ahead

push the job to completion

4

: to press hard against so as to involve in difficulty

was pushed for time

5

: to engage in the sale of (illegal drugs)

push

2 of 2 noun

1

: a strong advance against obstacles

2

: a sudden thrust : shove

3

: a steady applying of force in a direction away from the body from which it comes