1
as in to push
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
I had to keep shoving my heavy suitcase as I slowly made my way to the head of the line
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to press
to push steadily against with some force
quit shoving your hand in my face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shove
James Grebey, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Since last week, a video has been circulating online of a worker at a McDonald's in Southbridge shoving a handful of fries in her mouth before placing them into one of the fast food chain's red fry containers, according to NBC Boston and Boston 25 News.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
In the Game 1 loss in Denver, McDaniels delivered a two-handed shove to Nikola Jokic’s back.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shove
Verb
Alas, Shao Khan smashes Cole’s head with a hammer, Gallagher style, and shoves his body into a vat of acid.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Since last week, a video has been circulating online of a worker at a McDonald's in Southbridge shoving a handful of fries in her mouth before placing them into one of the fast food chain's red fry containers, according to NBC Boston and Boston 25 News.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Noun
League officials gave the players a talking-to in the morning and, to back it up, Krebs got tagged with a roughing minor on what seemed like routine pushing and shove after the whistle.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
In the Game 1 loss in Denver, McDaniels delivered a two-handed shove to Nikola Jokic’s back.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shove
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shove
Verb
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As criticism over competitive disparities intensified following the meet, pro-trans activists pushed back with the familiar argument that inclusion matters more than results, while opponents argued female athletes lose opportunities in the process.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Williams happened to be passing by as the young dancer was pushing her car down the highway with a friend, and Williams along with his manager stopped to help and was quickly charmed.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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April 20 – May 20 Your mood may be harder to hide when outside expectations press too firmly.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
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When King Charles pressed one button, getting the soundboard to emit a beat, Elba turned to reporters with an impressed look, earning laughter from the crowd.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Verb
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For instance, researchers found that rapid urbanization and electrification across Asia drove brightening in cities from China to India to Sub-Saharan Africa.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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The novel starts out on a highway, in a car that’s driving too fast.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Verb
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But the window that Pawlikowski chooses for Fatherland is defiantly compact, a stretch of time that the director compresses even more to place the suicide of Erika’s brother Klaus, which happened in the south of France two months before, within the space of the trip.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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Anything that compresses operating margin compresses the cash flow bondholders are lending against.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The painting, surrounded by scaffolding while the church undergoes repairs, is full of thrusting diagonals and shadowy figures, a meditation on both extreme suffering and pointed indifference to it.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
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Nereyda said this year hasn’t been as bad as a year ago when Hernandez was first thrust into a national anti-trans backlash.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shove.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shove. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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