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
Hamza Shaban, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2022
Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
The partisan scramble was sparked by Trump pushing Texas and other Republican-majority states to redistrict to preserve the party’s majority in the House, prompting Democrats to launch their own efforts to push back.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, released a statement Tuesday evening confirming that lawmakers will not convene in Topeka on Friday for the redistricting special session that GOP leaders have been pushing for weeks.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
The potential ruling would trigger a rollback of the president’s tariffs, likely pushing stocks higher.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centers is pushing utilities and tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google to explore nuclear power as a backbone for digital growth.
—Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The real culprits of America’s education problem may be skyrocketing tuition and lack of entry-level opportunities—pushing new Gen Z graduates into blue-collar careers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Many of Macy’s interactions have the quality of alternately pushing and easing up—expressing herself honestly and then knowing when to cool off.
—Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Democrats are pushing to extend soon-to-expire health care tax credits and reverse earlier Medicaid cuts, but Republicans have rejected those proposals.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
The partisan scramble was sparked by Trump pushing Texas and other Republican-majority states to redistrict to preserve the party’s majority in the House, prompting Democrats to launch their own efforts to push back.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, released a statement Tuesday evening confirming that lawmakers will not convene in Topeka on Friday for the redistricting special session that GOP leaders have been pushing for weeks.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
The potential ruling would trigger a rollback of the president’s tariffs, likely pushing stocks higher.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centers is pushing utilities and tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google to explore nuclear power as a backbone for digital growth.
—Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The real culprits of America’s education problem may be skyrocketing tuition and lack of entry-level opportunities—pushing new Gen Z graduates into blue-collar careers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Many of Macy’s interactions have the quality of alternately pushing and easing up—expressing herself honestly and then knowing when to cool off.
—Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing
Adjective
-
Federal officials decided to fund an ambitious megaproject to sequence all human genes.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
-
China’s ambitious plan to build the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), a multibillion-dollar project aimed at creating the world’s largest particle collider, is likely to be officially stalled after it was not included in the country’s next five-year plan.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
At 40 of the country’s busiest airports, flights coming and going will be reduced by 10% this week.—
The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The shutdown’s ripple effects spread across nearly every part of the air travel network Friday, with the nation’s busiest airports hit hardest.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
After shoving a shark up to the surface, the orcas rolled it onto its back.—
Ashley Balzer Vigil,
Scientific American,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The 2022 first-round pick was ejected twice as a rookie, first for shoving a Buffalo Bills practice squad player after a play that spilled into Buffalo’s sideline during a 10-point Bills win in Week 8.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Bagail 6-piece Compression Packing Cube Set is just $19 and a game-changer for squeezing extra outfits into a carry-on.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
-
To check for ripeness, start by squeezing the fruit—ripe mangos should give slightly under pressure without feeling overly soft or mushy.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Meeting Marsha follows Lily (Arnold), an aspiring actress who has meticulously planned the perfect weekend to propose to her comedian girlfriend, Jordan (McGroder).—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Released in 1982, the dark satire stars Robert De Niro as a desperate aspiring comedian who kidnaps a talk-show host in a misguided attempt at fame.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
While driving - Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Take extra caution when on the road or avoid driving if possible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Remove plastic and place dough in 9-inch pie pan, pressing down on edges.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
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This idea that ‘pressing is the best playmaker’ helped Perez lead Rayo into Europe for the first time in 25 years in his first full season as a manager last term.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Head coach Sean McVay certainly acted like it, thrusting his fists through the air in triumph as Verse skipped down the field, howling at the sparsely populated crowd at M&T Bank Stadium.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
12 Oct. 2025
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The Rockets believe Thompson still has tremendous potential that has yet to be unlocked, and the hope is that thrusting him into the starting point guard role will push him to reach new heights.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pushing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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