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

Because the switching happens thousands of times a second, the device can hold voltage steady, absorb a disturbance or operate in reverse, pushing power backward from batteries toward the grid. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Those cases were part of a broader movement pushing the limits of who is accountable for a mass shooting. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 The current job climate is creating conditions where pushing past your limits may feel necessary for career survival. — Melody Wilding, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 The researchers said the findings highlighted that the battery industry should focus on making cleaner batteries while pushing better use of every battery produced. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 Governments are pushing defense manufacturers to replenish inventories, modernize capabilities and accelerate deliveries. — Naveen Poonian, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Always Astaire's ideas man, Pan relished the challenge of pushing Astaire to try new things. — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 Bow Mar, a small town in Colorado, sits between Denver and Littleton, and community leaders have been pushing back against drivers who use local streets as shortcuts. — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pushing

Adjective

Best known for his ambitious documentary features, Kapadia described the process of adapting to the rigors of television production.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Tesla’s second-generation Roadster pairs ambitious performance hardware with a cockpit interface designed around driving data.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambitious

Adjective

The best travel accessories are the ones that quietly earn a permanent spot in your carry-on, and Amazon’s outlet has some useful finds ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2026
Emily Ratajkowski has been keeping busy in Los Angeles, mixing daring mirror selfies with a little romance.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of busy

Verb

But hiding appliances isn’t quite as simple as shoving them into a cabinet and calling it a day.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026
Houston's Tari Eason was ejected with about three minutes left in the first quarter after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for shoving Washington to the court.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of shoving

Verb

The remarks followed the release of strong quarterly results, with revenue and earnings beating analysts’ expectations despite a 6% downturn in revenue due to pressure squeezing all broadband purveyors.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.

— , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of squeezing

Adjective

The film touches on the difficulties of being an aspiring female politician today.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
At Osschaert, the audience was transported to a forest with leaves scattered on the ground and turf, entering a dream-like set that centered around a young, aspiring designer’s workshop.

— Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of aspiring

Verb

That's primarily the point, said Idaho House Majority Leader Jason Monks, a Republican who sponsored the measure as a means of driving up voter turnout during the midterm elections.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Technique works well in testing This strategy optimizes both the transport and perovskite layers together, driving efficiency and durability to record levels.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

It has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and hasn’t advanced, but Cuban has kept pressing the case, recently arguing that rising healthcare costs, not AI, are the real threat to American jobs.

— Emma Witman, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Now, congressional Democrats are pressing some donors for more information.

— Jamie Ross, Washington Post, 21 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