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
Relevance
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
Alessio Caprodossi, Wired News, 15 Feb. 2026
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
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
That’s why Stuart expects the energy crisis will get worse this spring and summer, pushing gas to $5 a gallon as soon as this month.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
What are you supposed to be thinking when your team is pushing toward the goal?
—Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 18 May 2026
At the public meeting, Marshall suggested underground water sources could be pushing fluid into the home, noting that the Merediths’ neighborhood once contained several ponds.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
But others kept pushing the boundaries of AI — mostly as overt parody or satire, an arena that offers greater 1st Amendment protection.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The score doesn’t illustrate the film so much as inhabit it, pushing the emotional register somewhere words alone never could.
—Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
On the other hand, pushing against this inevitability is a much more intriguing concept than simply presenting it as-is, over and over again, even when its specifics are disguised by a fable.
—Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
But guidance for the second quarter was light, pushing shares down 11%.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Adjective
The weight limit was a necessary move to equalize race conditions and curb the use of athletic specialists who, although not bobsledders, have in the past proven decisive in their teams’ success through the pushing phase.
—Alessio Caprodossi, Wired News, 15 Feb. 2026
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
Rough seas and hazardous underwater conditions repeatedly delayed search efforts as crews mapped and marked the cave entrance before pushing deeper inside.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
That’s why Stuart expects the energy crisis will get worse this spring and summer, pushing gas to $5 a gallon as soon as this month.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
What are you supposed to be thinking when your team is pushing toward the goal?
—Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 18 May 2026
At the public meeting, Marshall suggested underground water sources could be pushing fluid into the home, noting that the Merediths’ neighborhood once contained several ponds.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
But others kept pushing the boundaries of AI — mostly as overt parody or satire, an arena that offers greater 1st Amendment protection.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The score doesn’t illustrate the film so much as inhabit it, pushing the emotional register somewhere words alone never could.
—Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
On the other hand, pushing against this inevitability is a much more intriguing concept than simply presenting it as-is, over and over again, even when its specifics are disguised by a fable.
—Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
But guidance for the second quarter was light, pushing shares down 11%.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing
Adjective
-
The plans, however, were complicated by the project’s ambitious scope.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Chelsea are ninth, four points off a European place that was once an expectation and now looks an ambitious target.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Pool service can be a bit slow during busy times, but once your perfectly prepared daiquiri arrives, all is forgiven.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
The possible labor action has raised concerns about how the park could operate during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, particularly as schools begin letting out for summer break.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The next day she is shipped off to her first job, also within the confines of this impossibly vast building, which involves shoving film canisters down a pneumatic tube.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Since last week, a video has been circulating online of a worker at a McDonald's in Southbridge shoving a handful of fries in her mouth before placing them into one of the fast food chain's red fry containers, according to NBC Boston and Boston 25 News.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
While progressive Democrats are pushing to tax billionaires and close corporate loopholes, Republicans are warning that squeezing job creators will severely damage Illinois’ economy.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
Higher fuel costs are leading to inflation and squeezing household budgets, while industries from manufacturing to transport are facing rising operating costs and supply disruptions.—
Julhas Alam,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The first season is adapted from the first book, The Deal, and revolves around the hockey team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) and his relationship with aspiring songwriter Hannah Wells (Ella Bright).—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
At the Transport for London office, nervous, aspiring cabbies dress up in their Sunday best to take a series of oral exams known as appearances.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The critical shipping passage has been a key point of the war, driving up gas prices.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
Schauffele ranks in the tournament’s top five in both putting and driving, and has hit 28 of 42 fairways this week.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Cellphone video showed officers handcuffing and pressing him against an unmarked sedan, with his forehead bloodied.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Porter, known for asking tough questions during congressional hearings with the use of a whiteboard, at one point held up her notepad while pressing Becerra on his revenue source for his housing plan.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The painting, surrounded by scaffolding while the church undergoes repairs, is full of thrusting diagonals and shadowy figures, a meditation on both extreme suffering and pointed indifference to it.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
-
No sooner are Lucila and her brother Diego (Sergio Bautista) tearfully abandoned by their mother as children than the Spanish setting takes the wheel, thrusting us quickly and headfirst into Lucila’s young adult life nearly a decade later, without even half a second’s worth of reflection.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pushing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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