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

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

The monster mash will push beyond $150 million domestic Saturday to go along with more than $225 million overseas. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 13 Apr. 2024

In 2018, however, Trump pushed for a federal ban on all abortions after 20 weeks. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024

So why aren’t developers and politicians doing more to push these types of conversion projects? —Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024

Muffins are done when top springs back when pushed with finger. —Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 13 Apr. 2024

While poverty was widespread across the country, those living in conflict zones are being pushed deeper into destitution, with women and children disproportionately affected, the report found. —Helen Regan, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

Economists remain pretty evenly split as to whether the Federal Open Market Committee will bring down rates starting in July, with stronger confidence for a rate cut now being pushed into late summer and fall, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. —Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024

Read More: Fans React to Beyoncé's New Album Cowboy Carter Once seen as ruffians and pushed to the outskirts of Victorian society, cowboys were reinvented as rugged cultural heroes in the American consciousness in the early 20th century through dime novels, rodeos, movies, and more. —TIME, 12 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

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

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