INDEX:
1. to push something or someone
2. to push something that has wheels or rolls easily
3. to push someone or something with your finger, elbow, or with something pointed
4. to push an object into an opening or into something soft
5. to push people in order to move forward
6. to push something to operate a machine
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ PULL
↑ PRESS
↑ SQUASH
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1. to push something or someone
▷ push /pʊʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to push something or someone, especially with your hands, so that they move away from you :
▪ We pushed as hard as we could, but we couldn’t get the bus to move.
▪ Mum, William pushed me!
push something/somebody to/into/from etc something
▪ She pushed the table into a corner of the classroom.
▪ Pushing his plate to one side he called for the waiter.
▪ Witnesses had seen the man push Mrs Cooper off the bridge into the canal.
▷ give something/somebody a push /ˌgɪv something/somebody ə ˈpʊʃ/ [verb phrase]
to push something or someone once, so that you force them to move :
▪ ‘Go away!’ she said, giving him a push.
▪ He reached out and gave the door a gentle push.
▷ shove /ʃʌv/ [transitive verb] informal
to push something or someone, using your hands or shoulders, in a rough or careless way :
▪ The children were all pushing and shoving each other.
shove somebody/something against/aside/under etc something
▪ One of the soldiers shoved her roughly against the wall.
▪ Tom shoved his suitcase under the bed.
▪ Armed police shoved the protestors aside to make way for the president’s car.
▷ give something/somebody a shove /ˌgɪv something/somebody ə ˈʃʌv/ [verb phrase]
to push something or someone suddenly and strongly to force them to move :
▪ If the door won’t open just give it a shove.
▪ ‘Mind your own business!’ said Graham, giving me a shove.
▷ hustle /ˈhʌs ə l/ [transitive verb]
to push someone along roughly in order to make them move forward quickly :
hustle somebody out/into etc
▪ Two policemen quickly appeared and hustled him out.
▪ Martin seized her arm and hustled her away.
▪ The two men were hustled into a police van and driven away.
▷ bundle /ˈbʌndl/ [transitive verb]
to quickly push someone or something into something such as a car, a bag, or a cupboard, for example because you are in a hurry or you want to hide something :
▪ Her friends managed to get her out of the pub and bundled her home.
bundle somebody/something into something
▪ He had been bundled into the back of a Volkswagen by three masked men.
▪ I collected up the dirty washing and bundled it into the washing machine.
▷ manhandle /ˈmænhændl/ [transitive verb]
to move someone who does not want to move or something that is difficult to move by holding on to them and pushing them roughly :
manhandle somebody/something into/out/towards etc
▪ The soldiers were manhandling two men into the yard.
▪ The gang manhandled the stolen trailer through a gap in the fence.
2. to push something that has wheels or rolls easily
▷ push /pʊʃ/ [transitive verb]
▪ Paul held the door open for a woman pushing a trolley of heavy books.
push something in/around etc something
▪ Shoppers were pushing their carts around the supermarket.
▪ The car had run out of gas so they pushed it into a side-street.
▷ wheel /wiːl/ [transitive verb]
to push something with wheels while holding it with your hands :
wheel somebody/something out/into/down etc
▪ As I arrived she was just wheeling her bicycle out of the shed.
▪ I collected a trolley and wheeled it towards the frozen food section.
▪ She hated being wheeled round in a wheelchair.
▷ roll /rəʊl/ [transitive verb]
to push a round object along so that it turns over and over and moves forward :
roll something up/down etc something
▪ We had so much fun rolling stones down into the river.
▷ trundle /ˈtrʌndl/ [transitive verb]
to push something heavy that has wheels, slowly and with difficulty :
trundle something in/along etc
▪ The porters were trundling barrows loaded with vegetables into the market.
▪ The soldiers trundled the massive gun carriage along the road.
3. to push someone or something with your finger, elbow, or with something pointed
▷ nudge /nʌdʒ/ [transitive verb]
to gently push someone with your elbow to get their attention, especially when you do not want anyone else to notice :
▪ Toby nudged my arm. ‘That’s the guy I told you about,’ he whispered.
▪ Christine nudged me and giggled.
nudge [countable noun]
▪ Mark gave me a nudge and indicated two men who had just walked in.
▷ poke /pəʊk/ [transitive verb]
to push someone or something with your finger or with something sharp :
▪ The boys poked the fish with sticks to see if it was still alive
poke somebody in the eye/side/ribs
▪ Careful with that stick! You nearly poked me in the eye.
poke [countable noun]
▪ I gave dad a poke to wake him up.
▷ prod /prɒdǁprɑːd/ [transitive verb]
to gently push someone or something, using your finger or something such as a stick :
▪ Sergeant Thompson raised his stick and prodded the soldier in the chest.
▪ They walked around him, prodding and pinching him.
prod [countable noun]
▪ He gave the dog a quick prod with his foot.
▷ dig somebody in the ribs /ˌdɪg somebody ɪn ðə ˈrɪbz/ [verb phrase]
to suddenly push your finger or elbow into someone’s body, to get their attention or tell them something :
▪ Jenny dug me sharply in the ribs and told me to be quiet.
▪ Edward laughed loudly, digging me in the ribs, wanting me to share the joke.
4. to push an object into an opening or into something soft
▷ stick /stɪk/ [transitive verb]
to push a sharp object into something soft, or push something into a small space :
stick something into/up/inside etc something
▪ They stuck pins into a map to show where the enemy’s camps were.
▪ The doctor had to stick a tube down my throat in order to examine my stomach.
▷ force /fɔːʳs/ [transitive verb]
to push something into a small space using a lot of strength :
force something into/through/down something
▪ She tried to force her feet into the shoes but they were too small.
▪ I finally managed to force the package through the small letterbox.
▷ stuff/shove /stʌf, ʃʌv/ [transitive verb] informal
to push something quickly and carelessly into a small space :
shove/stuff something into/up/down etc
▪ She shoved two more sweaters into her bag.
▪ He quickly stuffed the letter down the side of the sofa.
▷ ram /ræm/ [transitive verb]
to push something very hard or violently into something :
ram something into something
▪ She rammed the papers into her briefcase.
▪ Construction workers had to spend the night ramming iron girders into place to support the building.
▷ plunge /plʌndʒ/ [transitive verb]
to push something deep inside another thing, especially violently or suddenly :
plunge something into something
▪ Plunging both hands deep into the sack she rummaged among the parcels.
▪ Then he plunged the knife into his victim’s chest.
▷ thrust /θrʌst/ [transitive verb]
to push something suddenly and hard into an opening or into something soft :
thrust something into something
▪ He thrust the knife deep into the animal’s chest.
▪ Thrusting the gun back into its holster, the man grinned at the body lying on the floor.
▪ He thrust some money into my hand and told me to drive him to the airport.
▷ squeeze /skwiːz/ [transitive verb]
to push something with difficulty into a space that is too small :
squeeze something into something
▪ I don’t think I can squeeze any more files into this drawer.
▪ It’s no use trying to squeeze yourself into clothes that are too small for you.
▷ jam /dʒæm/ [transitive verb]
to push something forcefully into a small space, so that it fits tightly and is difficult to pull out again :
jam something under/into etc something
▪ Just hold the door open while I jam a wedge under it.
▪ Kelly poured himself another glass of wine and jammed the cork back into the bottle.
5. to push people in order to move forward
▷ push /pʊʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to push people, especially in a crowd, in order to move past them or in order to make them move :
▪ Can you tell the people at the back of the queue to stop pushing!
push your way through/into etc
▪ He pushed his way through the crowd.
push past
▪ She pushed past me to the front of the line.
▷ shove /ʃʌv/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to push people in a rough and careless way with your hands, arms, or shoulders in order to move forward or past people :
▪ The people moved forward towards the food, pushing and shoving to get there first.
shove your way through/into etc
▪ Peter shoved his way through the dense crowd in search of his son.
shove past
▪ Robert shoved past the others and made his way to the front of the room.
▷ barge /bɑːʳdʒ/ [intransitive verb]
to move forward so fast and forcefully that you push someone as you pass them :
barge into
▪ She just barged into me, without even apologizing.
barge past
▪ A woman carrying a large basket barged past me to the front of the line.
▷ force your way /ˌfɔːʳs jɔːʳ ˈweɪ/ [verb phrase]
to push hard in order to go somewhere when your way is blocked :
force your way through
▪ He forced his way through the dense crowd.
force your way into
▪ Police forced their way into the flat and arrested two men.
▷ jostle /ˈdʒɒs ə lǁˈdʒɑː-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to push against one person or several people so that you knock them to one side, especially in order to reach a place or get something before they do :
jostle for
▪ Passengers were jostling each other at the news kiosk for the last remaining copies of the evening paper.
jostle to do something
▪ The children moved forward, jostling to get to the front and see the magician.
▷ elbow /ˈelbəʊ/ [transitive verb]
to push with your elbows in order to move past people :
elbow your way through/into etc
▪ She elbowed her way through the crowd.
elbow somebody aside/elbow somebody to one side
▪ Craig elbowed me aside roughly.
▪ Elbowing me to one side, he took hold of the microphone.
▷ press /pres/ [intransitive verb]
to push in order to move forward with the rest of the crowd :
press forward/round etc
▪ As the race started the crowd pressed forward towards the track.
▪ The security men tried to hold back crowds of reporters pressing round the President’s car.
6. to push something to operate a machine
▷ push/press /pʊʃ, pres/ [transitive verb]
push/press a button
to push something that makes a machine operate :
▪ It’s very simple - you put the paper in and push a button, and the computer does the rest for you.
▪ She pressed the button and the machine started to whirr.