PUSHING Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

pushing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpu̇-shiŋ

Definition of pushing

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

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

Thank you to all the Filipino artists who remain passionate and tireless in pushing the boundaries of where Filipino music can be taken globally. — Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026 At its 2026 national summit, the book-ban-pushing, DEI-opposing, trans-fearing Moms of Liberty group unveiled a new AI tool designed to monitor school board agendas across more than 13,000 school districts nationwide. — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026 The newlyweds allegedly plan to build a six-foot fence and plant trees around their $5 million estate in Bratenahl, and their new neighbors are pushing back on the project. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026 Hunt, 22, died shortly after pushing several nurses under a desk. — Meagan Harris, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Ultimately, higher rates can strain borrowers' finances, pushing some into default. — Hugh Son,laya Neelakandan,leslie Picker,ritika Shah, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 On Frequency of Love, Monét stretches out, pushing the boundaries of the sophisticated, retro sound of her previous album and finding some surprising new angles to her songwriting. — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026 The Kremlin has banned diesel exports due to the Ukrainian strikes, pushing global prices higher. — Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026 Beneath it all hums the climate crisis, driving hotter, drier weather and pushing the water cycle off balance. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing

Adjective

Eventually, in 1914, Jo succeeded in publishing Vincent’s letters in an ambitious three-volume book, which today is considered one of the most revealing and important works of art history.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
One of France’s most eminent men of letters, Jean d’Ormesson is on excellent form in this ambitious historical novel.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambitious

Verb

Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer shoving Philadelphia's Trevor Zegras raised attention around the room not long after.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Williams was shoving all night, but Jose Ramirez gave him quite a nice cushion, golfing a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

— Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of shoving

Verb

Democrats have hammered on meat as well, but mainly just as one of the staples that cost more under Trump, squeezing voters’ pocketbooks.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
Democrats have hammered on meat as well, but mainly just as one of the staples that cost more under Trump, squeezing voters' pocketbooks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of squeezing

Adjective

Jennifer Peedom first visited the Himalayas over 20 years ago as an aspiring filmmaker, tagging along with a friend who was working on an Everest expedition.

— Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
How Victoria’s Secret Is Choosing Its Next Angel The search began in April, when Victoria’s Secret announced an open casting call for aspiring models.

— Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of aspiring

Verb

Biggs has accused the Hobbs administration of driving up home prices with stringent water requirements that stalled new buildings in parts of the Phoenix area.

— Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
No amount of spending from whatever PAC source is driving it into the elections are going to change that dynamic.

— NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

The broader strategy connects battery recovery with a pressing infrastructure problem.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Two-thirds of that money has come from hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick, who has been pressing city leaders on the expansion of bike lanes and bus lanes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of pressing

Verb

According to police, and as the videos appear to show, the robot touches the 16-year-old's buttocks and repeatedly makes thrusting movements toward her.

— October 14, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Its aggressively artificial imagery evokes the kind of AI-slop, dreamcore videos that tend to populate social media these days, thrusting the audience into increasingly unsettling spaces that seem generated from a stranger’s hazy childhood.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026