as in departing
to leave a place often for another
let's push off while it's still early enough to beat the evening rush
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Recent Examples of pushing off
When driving off his back foot, Wicks was pushing off his toe.
—
Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
For-sale inventory tends to be less robust, open houses are fewer and the effort to travel from home to home in less-than-ideal weather conditions leaves many buyers pushing off a sale until the spring.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Gliding, pushing off, and stopping were a breeze, and the skates were plenty responsive during lessons on the ice.
—Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
One reason might be that boomers are working longer, pushing off retirement and, with it, extra time to help watch the grandkids.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
Both are crucial for ankle movement when pushing off during walking, running, and jumping.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 4 Nov. 2025
That has included a growing number of tech and IT firms taking their place, pushing off the likes of print publishers and old-line industrial companies in the process.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Caltrans proposed the highway through the predominantly Black and brown neighborhood, but residents were successful in pushing off the freeway’s construction.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Postgame, referee Craig Wrolstad reiterated that players aren’t able to propel themselves by pushing off to block a kick.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
For-sale inventory tends to be less robust, open houses are fewer and the effort to travel from home to home in less-than-ideal weather conditions leaves many buyers pushing off a sale until the spring.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Gliding, pushing off, and stopping were a breeze, and the skates were plenty responsive during lessons on the ice.
—Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
One reason might be that boomers are working longer, pushing off retirement and, with it, extra time to help watch the grandkids.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
Both are crucial for ankle movement when pushing off during walking, running, and jumping.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 4 Nov. 2025
That has included a growing number of tech and IT firms taking their place, pushing off the likes of print publishers and old-line industrial companies in the process.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Caltrans proposed the highway through the predominantly Black and brown neighborhood, but residents were successful in pushing off the freeway’s construction.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Postgame, referee Craig Wrolstad reiterated that players aren’t able to propel themselves by pushing off to block a kick.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing off
Verb
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Lock your home before departing.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York were also among the 10 states with the greatest numbers of departing residents.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Doctor and controversial wellness guru Peter Attia is exiting CBS News after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein have come to light.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
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The 29-year-old was dominant at the Milan Cortina Games, exiting this year’s Winter Olympics with six golds.—
Jiachuan Wu,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rescuers used earth-moving equipment to retrieve the bodies, according to Ednar Dayanghirang, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Mesh ventilation at the front and back allows airflow to circulate, which comes in handy when moving between cold cabins and warmer terminals.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Two distinct bands running along the sides of adult Akarotaxis gouldae — absent on Akarotaxis nudiceps — should have been a giveaway.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Feb. 2026
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The map submitted to the commissioners court shows the Onion Creek trail running along the creek for part of its length, as well as along Buda's Main Street.—
Richard Webner,
San Antonio Express-News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This time, instead of pulling out another clever weapon, Peter walks straight towards his partner, insisting that Hagan has co-opted him for a dirty cause.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
19 Feb. 2026
-
More than half of what scientists are pulling out of that frozen ground has never been cataloged.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Orlando won despite going eight of 23 from three-point range, two games after setting a franchise record with 27 three-pointers in a victory at Sacramento.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Duke won the rebounding battle 41-28 as Michigan settled for too many one-and-done perimeter shots, going 6 of 25 from 3-point range.—
Ben Nuckols,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Physics students know that can’t be the case – once airborne, there is no way to change that path without pushing on something.—
Amy Pope,
The Conversation,
2 Feb. 2026
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Climate risk is adding to the challenges of an aging grid with data center demand, which are also pushing on low housing supply, and leading to a growing demand for resilient, flexible, and smart homes.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hundreds of Portage High School students voiced their protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions Thursday morning, walking out of classes to do so.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
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Mia Sotelo, a student at Forney High School and an organizer of Thursday’s walkout, said students from her campus, as well as North Forney High School, are walking out in solidarity with schools in Minnesota that have been affected by the immigration crackdown.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pushing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pushing%20off. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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