shove

1 of 2

verb

shoved; shoving
Synonyms of shovenext

transitive verb

1
: to push along
2
: to push or put in a rough, careless, or hasty manner : thrust
3
: to force by other than physical means : compel
shove a bill through the legislature

intransitive verb

1
: to move by forcing a way
bargain hunters shoving up to the counter
2
a
: to move something by exerting force
b
: leave
usually used with off
shoved off for home
shover noun

shove

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of shoving : a forcible push

Examples of shove in a Sentence

Verb He shoved the door until it finally opened. A large man shoved me out of the way. She shoved her plate aside. He shoved me into the pool. A group of security guards shoved through the crowd. The children were pushing and shoving to see the clowns. Noun He gave the door a shove, and it opened.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Annoyed, Alba shoved him out of the way, and the conversation was cut short. Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026 There’s paparazzi footage of the couple screaming at and shoving each other in downtown Manhattan, painfully punctuated by John appearing to rip off Carolyn’s engagement ring. Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
Chad Baker-Mazara rewarded his teammate with a chest bump and a playful shove. Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026 Hypersonic flight may seem like the biggest shove to the envelope since the sound barrier was broken in 1947 and rotating detonation may look like a quantum leap in propulsion, but combining the two shows how far both of these have come in recent years. New Atlas, 14 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shove

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English scūfan to thrust away; akin to Old High German scioban to push and probably to Lithuanian skubti to hurry

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shove was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shove.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shove. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

shove

1 of 2 verb
shoved; shoving
1
: to push with steady force
2
: to push along or away carelessly or rudely
shoved her out of the way
3
: depart sense 1
usually used with off
time to shove off for home
shover noun

shove

2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of shoving

More from Merriam-Webster on shove

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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