push the envelope

idiom

: to go beyond the usual or normal limits by doing something new, dangerous, etc.
a director who has pushed the envelope in his recent films
a new airplane design that pushes the envelope

Examples of push the envelope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And the latest mission of the nearly 400-foot-tall (121-meter) vehicle is designed to push the envelope even further in a quest to return astronauts to the moon and someday fulfill CEO Elon Musk’s dream of sending the first humans to Mars. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025 But concept bikes are meant to push the envelope, and what looks bizarre today could be commonplace tomorrow – or 100 years from now. New Atlas, 29 Dec. 2024 Saints Row Series The Saints Row games push the envelope further than GTA, offering players various cannabis consumption options, including bongs and rolling papers. Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2024 Most records eventually sound like the era that spawned them, even (or sometimes especially) those that did their best to push the envelope. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for push the envelope 

Dictionary Entries Near push the envelope

Cite this Entry

“Push the envelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/push%20the%20envelope. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!