1
as in pushing
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 pressing
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 shoving
One video with a clear view of the encounter shows an officer shoving a person near Pretti.
—
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
Pretti comes in again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
The video shows an officer shoving a person who is wearing a brown jacket, skirt and black tights and carrying a water bottle.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
The contest soon gives way to aggression, with the high schoolers shoving each other, then wrestling.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Pretti comes into view again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester.
—CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
There’s paparazzi footage of the couple screaming at and shoving each other in downtown Manhattan, painfully punctuated by John appearing to rip off Carolyn’s engagement ring.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
There was shoving and jostling.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
In the days since an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, stories have circulated of federal agents (from both ICE and Border Patrol) pepper-spraying and tear-gassing families and students, and shoving a protester into oncoming traffic.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
Pretti comes in again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
The video shows an officer shoving a person who is wearing a brown jacket, skirt and black tights and carrying a water bottle.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
The contest soon gives way to aggression, with the high schoolers shoving each other, then wrestling.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Pretti comes into view again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester.
—CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
There’s paparazzi footage of the couple screaming at and shoving each other in downtown Manhattan, painfully punctuated by John appearing to rip off Carolyn’s engagement ring.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
There was shoving and jostling.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
In the days since an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, stories have circulated of federal agents (from both ICE and Border Patrol) pepper-spraying and tear-gassing families and students, and shoving a protester into oncoming traffic.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoving
Verb
-
In early 2026, the car brands leading in advanced AI are primarily split between those pushing the boundaries of full autonomous driving like Tesla, and those integrating sophisticated, safe and intuitive AI into the user experience like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Lawmakers were pushing a measure, similar to those enacted in Australia and Canada, that would have forced tech giants to pay online publishers for the ransacking, er, use, of their journalistic content.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stand back up, keeping your core tight and pressing through your heels.—
RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan,
Health,
31 Jan. 2026
-
His side recovered quickly from the departures of last season’s two leading goalscorers, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, and now sit comfortably eighth on 33 points, with no pressing need for winter reinforcements.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Weather Service warns that poor visibility and slick roads could make driving a bad idea.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Sombr’s rendition strips the track back emotionally while reshaping it sonically, layering distorted vocals and a driving indie-rock pulse over the song’s core melody.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This selloff in software was a revaluation of what the market is willing to pay for SaaS companies, meaning price-to-earnings multiple ratios are compressing.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Sundance has always had a way of compressing time.—
Rena Ronson,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Clearly looking to shock, Raimi depicts bodily injury in oozing detail, whether that means thrusting the camera into Bradley’s festering leg wound or watching one of the pair plunge their thumb into the eye socket of the other.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
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After shutting down internet and mobile international communications on January 8, thrusting the country into digital darkness, the government carried out a massacre unprecedented even in the regime’s own violent history.—
Omid Memarian,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoving. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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