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
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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
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Ilango’s approach gets around limitations of zero-knowledge proofs that researchers have long thought insurmountable, pushing the boundaries of what such a proof can be.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 11 May 2026
And while the second pool isn’t named, Mitrisin and fellow Ward 2 City Councilmember Melissa Cheatham have been pushing for Bluejacket Pool to be the second location.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
The two sides remain far apart Trump has demanded a major rollback of Iran’s nuclear activities, while Iran is pushing for a more limited agreement that would reopen the strait and lift the blockade ahead of further negotiations.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Summer-like warmth settles in this weekend with highs pushing into the 80s.
—Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 11 May 2026
But guidance for the second quarter was light, pushing shares down 11%.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Say what’s real without pushing too hard or trying to control the outcome.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2026
Aluminum supply chains have also been hit, following Iranian strikes on smelters in Bahrain and the UAE, pushing the price of the metal to a four-year high and testing panel and turbine makers who rely on it.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 4 May 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
Schumer also vowed Democrats will use other tools to fight the ballroom spending, which the White House says is strictly for security enhancements, including by pushing the Senate parliamentarian to strike the ballroom money from the budget bill.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Ilango’s approach gets around limitations of zero-knowledge proofs that researchers have long thought insurmountable, pushing the boundaries of what such a proof can be.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 11 May 2026
And while the second pool isn’t named, Mitrisin and fellow Ward 2 City Councilmember Melissa Cheatham have been pushing for Bluejacket Pool to be the second location.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
The two sides remain far apart Trump has demanded a major rollback of Iran’s nuclear activities, while Iran is pushing for a more limited agreement that would reopen the strait and lift the blockade ahead of further negotiations.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Summer-like warmth settles in this weekend with highs pushing into the 80s.
—Lisa Meadows, CBS News, 11 May 2026
But guidance for the second quarter was light, pushing shares down 11%.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Say what’s real without pushing too hard or trying to control the outcome.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2026
Aluminum supply chains have also been hit, following Iranian strikes on smelters in Bahrain and the UAE, pushing the price of the metal to a four-year high and testing panel and turbine makers who rely on it.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing
Adjective
-
The plans, however, were complicated by the project’s ambitious scope.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Chelsea are ninth, four points off a European place that was once an expectation and now looks an ambitious target.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Pool service can be a bit slow during busy times, but once your perfectly prepared daiquiri arrives, all is forgiven.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
The possible labor action has raised concerns about how the park could operate during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, particularly as schools begin letting out for summer break.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Burke can be seen walking quickly behind Falzone, then shoving him down the steps, according to police.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
The video allegedly shows Testerman setting up a phone to record before shoving Oliver to the floor and beating her.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
While progressive Democrats are pushing to tax billionaires and close corporate loopholes, Republicans are warning that squeezing job creators will severely damage Illinois’ economy.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
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Higher fuel costs are leading to inflation and squeezing household budgets, while industries from manufacturing to transport are facing rising operating costs and supply disruptions.—
Julhas Alam,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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SeriesFest and Shondaland also partnered on the seventh cycle of the Women Directing Mentorship, a competition designed to discover aspiring female directors with a unique voice and provide a launchpad for their careers.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
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Noelle Lewis is living a few lives as an aspiring librarian by day and professional bridesmaid-for-hire by necessity.—
Erin La Rosa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The critical shipping passage has been a key point of the war, driving up gas prices.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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Schauffele ranks in the tournament’s top five in both putting and driving, and has hit 28 of 42 fairways this week.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Cellphone video showed officers handcuffing and pressing him against an unmarked sedan, with his forehead bloodied.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Porter, known for asking tough questions during congressional hearings with the use of a whiteboard, at one point held up her notepad while pressing Becerra on his revenue source for his housing plan.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Zohran Mamdani’s anti-business, anti-wealth crusade is thrusting the city into a death spiral — fewer businesses and residents mean higher taxes, since local leaders won’t cut spending, driving even more to leave.—
Liz Peek,
Washington Post,
4 May 2026
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The Orlando teammates shared a quick high-five before thrusting the air awfully close to one another.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pushing. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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