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
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Dawkins appeared to raise his hands up just before Robinson shoved him, and as their teammates began to surround them, Robinson shoved Dawkins a second time, before the latter threw his hat at him.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Bednarek took exception and gave Lyles a shove in the back.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shove
Verb
The vehicle could have been shoved down the steep hill instead of this a shoddy attempt at concealment.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Dawkins appeared to raise his hands up just before Robinson shoved him, and as their teammates began to surround them, Robinson shoved Dawkins a second time, before the latter threw his hat at him.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
After the gentle shove, the cat hops back and instantly looks at Nova, then trots to the opposite side of the bed.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Bednarek took exception and gave Lyles a shove in the back.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shove
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shove
Verb
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Altria The parent company of tobacco brand Marlboro and one of the country’s largest tobacco firms has pushed for less FDA oversight of e-cigarettes.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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As Lloyd Kelly passes to Andrea Cambiaso, Valverde pushes up from right-back while Jude Bellingham and Tchouameni track Teun Koopmeiners and Khephren Thuram.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sheppard — pressed into service after Fred VanVleet's possibly season-ending ACL tear suffered in September — has been so spotty on defense that Udoka has been reticent to play him much.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until beef easily falls apart when pressed with the back of a spoon and sauce has thickened enough to coat beef, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Not in any explicit way—my father wasn’t the cranky, alcoholic ex-minor league baseball player who drove around Los Angeles with his pool cleaning equipment in the back of his Cadillac convertible played by Matthau.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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Holcomb had driven all the way from Heber Springs with her daughter at the prospect of free food.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Unlike beads, Durafoam evenly absorbs body weight and won’t compress over time.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
30 Oct. 2025
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Still, there’s a long way to go to match bats, which can contract and compress their muscles to listen only to certain echoes and can detect something as small as a human hair from several meters away.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The incident came after a tense year for Harvard students, teachers and staff who were thrust into the national spotlight amid the White House’s push to reshape higher education.—
Michelle Watson,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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From product recalls to workplace discrimination, to customer mistreatment scandals, CEOs are often thrust into the spotlight and forced to apologize.—
Prachi Gala,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shove.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shove. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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