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
Most of the time, a child who is shoving at the playground or refusing to take turns with the blocks at daycare is just testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior.
—
Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been suspended one game for shoving the Washington Wizards mascot during pregame introductions, the NBA announced Wednesday.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Richardson appeared to grill Coleman and nudged him before shoving him into a wall, nudging him more later on.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Video shows the agent in the tan beanie repeatedly shoving observers.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Then, during the handshake line, an altercation appeared to start between one West Charlotte player and one North Mecklenburg player that led to some pushing and shoving among players from both teams that spilled over to the other side of the court.
—Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2026
Agents responded by shoving protesters who got too close, firing pepper balls and finally throwing tear gas grenades and driving away.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
People were just like shoving each other and trying to get on the train.
—Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 29 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
Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been suspended one game for shoving the Washington Wizards mascot during pregame introductions, the NBA announced Wednesday.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Richardson appeared to grill Coleman and nudged him before shoving him into a wall, nudging him more later on.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Video shows the agent in the tan beanie repeatedly shoving observers.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Then, during the handshake line, an altercation appeared to start between one West Charlotte player and one North Mecklenburg player that led to some pushing and shoving among players from both teams that spilled over to the other side of the court.
—Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2026
Agents responded by shoving protesters who got too close, firing pepper balls and finally throwing tear gas grenades and driving away.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
People were just like shoving each other and trying to get on the train.
—Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 29 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoving
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Haley is part of a group called Safe and Sound which documents the decibel levels, and is pressing local officials to stop xAI from making so much noise, especially overnight, with its turbines.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, says mounting media campaigns from federal prisons is hardly as simple as buying a ring light and pressing record.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The arrest report also stated that Ramirez-Mesa was driving at least twice the speed limit, which was 40 miles per hour.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Cops quickly determined the 42-year-old suspect was drunk behind the wheel and charged him with driving while intoxicated.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead of compressing observations into still images, RIMS preserves time-dependent information and separates radio signals by direction.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
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Such tests could be used in research toward compressing a core of uranium with explosives — something that is needed for an implosion-style nuclear weapon.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But its panting, thrusting allure dimmed over time.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Shoving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoving. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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