PUSHING Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

pushing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpu̇-shiŋ

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

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

pushing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of push

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

as in squeezing

to force one's way we had to push our way through a crowd that was mostly headed in the opposite direction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of pushing

Adjective

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

Wiener is also pushing new legislation — called the No Kings Act — that would allow people in California to sue federal agents for violating their rights. —

Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026 Home prices and mortgage rates have soared over the past several years, pushing home ownership out of reach for many Americans. —

Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026 The boundary-pushing group of Belgian designers forming the Antwerp Six (including Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester) put the city—and country—on the fashion map in the 1980s, and a new generation of artists and innovators are driving the city’s creative scene today. —

Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026 Lawmakers in the commonwealth are also pushing a bill that would require the Kentucky State Police and local law enforcement agencies to take part in the 287(g) program, which allows for collaboration with federal immigration enforcement officials. —

Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Feb. 2026 Removing transaction desks from booths and pushing business into discrete lounges was more than a curatorial gesture. —

Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026 Fill a small pot with moist, well-draining succulent soil and plant the top stem cutting in the soil, pushing the bare stem down into the soil until the remaining leaves are resting just above the surface. —

Cori Sears, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026 Last month, congressional Republicans moved closer to lifting a 20-year ban on mining near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, pushing a resolution to end the moratorium through the House. —

Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing

Adjective

China has laid out an ambitious lunar plan to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, targeting the south pole, which contains water ice and other resources critical for long-term lunar exploration and settlement.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026
His answer is ambitious and old-fashioned.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026