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
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.
Recent Examples of pushing
Hamza Shaban, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2022
Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
And the federal government has refused to enact reforms the industry has been pushing for at least a decade.
—Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
That presents some planning opportunities, including possibly pushing some SALT payments into 2026.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
With the MacBook Air launching earlier than the iPhone SE and ahead of the next Apple Intelligence update, this points to a press release launch and Apple pushing its consumer laptops further into the background.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
The billionaire media mogul and filmmaker is pushing back against those who have questioned his lack of a writers room.
—Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
The billionaire media mogul, who has faced backlash for not having a writers room on his TV and film projects, is pushing back against critics.
—Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, borrower advocates are pushing the Biden administration to wrap up student loan forgiveness implementation for tens of thousands of borrowers who were already approved, but have yet to receive relief.
—Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
The wharf was being buffeted by a massive winter swell pushing 15-20 foot waves across Santa Cruz Point just one mile north.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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
This is not a new development in New Orleans where the Saints have been pushing their costs into the future for years now.
—Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
And the federal government has refused to enact reforms the industry has been pushing for at least a decade.
—Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
That presents some planning opportunities, including possibly pushing some SALT payments into 2026.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
With the MacBook Air launching earlier than the iPhone SE and ahead of the next Apple Intelligence update, this points to a press release launch and Apple pushing its consumer laptops further into the background.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
The billionaire media mogul and filmmaker is pushing back against those who have questioned his lack of a writers room.
—Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
The billionaire media mogul, who has faced backlash for not having a writers room on his TV and film projects, is pushing back against critics.
—Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, borrower advocates are pushing the Biden administration to wrap up student loan forgiveness implementation for tens of thousands of borrowers who were already approved, but have yet to receive relief.
—Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
The wharf was being buffeted by a massive winter swell pushing 15-20 foot waves across Santa Cruz Point just one mile north.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing
Adjective
-
Encoded in the machine's engineering was an ambitious globalism.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
5 July 2025
-
Lopez also has an ambitious and uninhibited way of speaking that is far removed from the prudence of players from older generations.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
He's got a busy schedule ahead, starring in season 2 of Peacock's Twisted Metal and Alex Winter's upcoming Adulthood.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, Lucas was busy writing his own take on Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, before ultimately deciding to hand off his empire to the House of Mouse.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Following this ethos, Cano also trained and mentored aspiring musicians for decades, ultimately leading to his involvement in the 2000 founding of the Mariachi Master Apprentice Program (MMAP) in California’s San Fernando Valley.—
Michelle Mehrtens,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 July 2025
-
But most aspiring teen entrepreneurs get stuck in research mode, bouncing between TikTok tips and YouTube tutorials.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
By forcing his posts to the top of feeds, elevating like-minded voices, and driving critics off the platform, Musk revealed the raw power of ownership.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
14 Apr. 2025
-
So what’s driving the need for these changes?—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Brighton are a very high-pressing team, so there were reasons.—
Megan Feringa,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Add chicken and toss until evenly coated, pressing to adhere.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pushing. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share