1
as in ambitious
having a strong desire for personal advancement
among the young associates at the law firm, he was unmistakably the most pushing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
the sort of sycophantic, pushing man on the make that everyone loves to hate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in shoving
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
I had to push my damaged bike all the way home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pushing
Alessio Caprodossi, Wired News, 15 Feb. 2026
Musk plunged into a controversy of his own making after tweeting and deleting a post pushing baseless allegations about the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
—Hamza Shaban, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2022
Joe Vardon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Faster decision-making, greater policy coherence, and a better chance of pushing difficult reforms at a pivotal moment.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Oli credits Yves with pushing Krooked Kings musically, and especially lyrically, by challenging the group to get specific with their messaging.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 Apr. 2026
The companies winning today — those pushing innovation in tech, healthcare, design and beyond — are the ones investing in human optimization, not simply human output.
—Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2026
Its members, many still fatigued from the 2023 strike, don’t seem poised — at least for now — to nitpick their deal or criticize their union for not pushing hard enough.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
On the Chicago level, Young has also been pushing for the passage of the Anjanette Young Ordinance, creating strict rules on how and when police raids can be executed.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The community planning group Vibrant Uptown, which advocates for neighborhoods including Hillcrest, Bankers Hill and North Park, is pushing to bring streetcars back to San Diego.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026
In the clip, shared by @whit_fashionfinds, footage from inside her living room shows her teen on hands and knees pushing clutter across the floor and underneath the couch.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The weight limit was a necessary move to equalize race conditions and curb the use of athletic specialists who, although not bobsledders, have in the past proven decisive in their teams’ success through the pushing phase.
—Alessio Caprodossi, Wired News, 15 Feb. 2026
Musk plunged into a controversy of his own making after tweeting and deleting a post pushing baseless allegations about the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
—Hamza Shaban, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2022
Verb
Hmmm, let’s see… oh, yes, Kawhi Leonard famously did this once, pushing his way out of San Antonio.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Faster decision-making, greater policy coherence, and a better chance of pushing difficult reforms at a pivotal moment.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Oli credits Yves with pushing Krooked Kings musically, and especially lyrically, by challenging the group to get specific with their messaging.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 Apr. 2026
The companies winning today — those pushing innovation in tech, healthcare, design and beyond — are the ones investing in human optimization, not simply human output.
—Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2026
Its members, many still fatigued from the 2023 strike, don’t seem poised — at least for now — to nitpick their deal or criticize their union for not pushing hard enough.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
On the Chicago level, Young has also been pushing for the passage of the Anjanette Young Ordinance, creating strict rules on how and when police raids can be executed.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The community planning group Vibrant Uptown, which advocates for neighborhoods including Hillcrest, Bankers Hill and North Park, is pushing to bring streetcars back to San Diego.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026
In the clip, shared by @whit_fashionfinds, footage from inside her living room shows her teen on hands and knees pushing clutter across the floor and underneath the couch.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing
Adjective
-
Born in Naples in 1943, the son of a seamstress and a railway employee who was also an accomplished and ambitious painter, Starnone began his working life as a schoolteacher.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The grant also supported an ambitious effort to bring the wild descendants of McCloud salmon back to California from New Zealand.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With busy schedules, sitting down to eat a meal as a family can be tricky and cause feelings of guilt.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Each carried one passenger in the back seat, all of them busy on their phones.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Misguidedly shoving as many Peeps as possible into our mouths.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
30 Mar. 2026
-
With Dylan Larkin in the box, Noah Cates put the Flyers ahead by three goals by shoving a loose puck over the goal line on the power play with less than four minutes to play in the second.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The videos have pulled back the curtain on ingredient shifts across some of the company’s most recognizable products — and a surging cocoa market that’s squeezing the entire candy industry.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Pios led 4-1 after a period and put the clamps down, methodically squeezing the clock and the Broncos’ hopes of a repeat title, a shift at a time.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This one follows an aspiring bull-rider, but the prose is a little left-of-center for the Bard As any Dylanologist could tell you.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
An aspiring writer as a teenager, Burden turned her focus to law in college, earning a degree in Juvenile and Immigration Law from New York University.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cody Bellinger contributed to the Yankees erasing a four-run deficit through four innings by driving in three runs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
While driving - Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Midfielders Lo LaBonta and Hutton were physical in the midfield, pressing attackers and winning the ball, with attacking midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo free to disperse to streaking attackers.—
PJ Green
April 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Orlando was aggressive in the first half at Inter&Co Stadium, pressing Angel City (3-0-1) and forcing it into passing mistakes, though the first half ended in a scoreless draw.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Far from thrusting their run-in into chaos, this may become a moment which galvanises Leeds.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
With Israel thrusting deeper into Lebanon, fears are mounting that Qlayaa will suffer the same fate as Alma al-Shaab, a Christian village on the border whose remaining residents all evacuated after a villager was killed this week.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pushing. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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