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
Relevance
2
as in pressing
to push steadily against with some force
quit shoving your hand in my face
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 shoving
Some of the recent videos show the runners bumping into security guards and shoving past church staff, then leaving after being cornered and told to get off the property.
—
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Reus scored the winner on a PK after a foul on Sam Junqua for shoving Elijah Wynder in the back on a corner kick.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Reus scored the winner on a PK after a foul on Sam Junqua for shoving Elijah Wynder in the back on a corner kick.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The Sabres’ Peyton Krebs was whistled for what looked like routine pushing and shoving in the first period.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
In another instance at the same unspecified firm in December, the head of security led a group to storm the investigation site, pushing and shoving law enforcement officers violently, the media outlet re ported.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
In a four-game span, the Philadelphia 76ers star received a technical foul for shoving Donte DiVincenzo, and flagrant fouls for dragging Mitchell Robinson to the floor and swiping Brunson in the head.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
In the clip, he can be seen screaming in an airport terminal and shoving a stanchion.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
How does a neuron know when to stop shoving?
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Reus scored the winner on a PK after a foul on Sam Junqua for shoving Elijah Wynder in the back on a corner kick.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Reus scored the winner on a PK after a foul on Sam Junqua for shoving Elijah Wynder in the back on a corner kick.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
The Sabres’ Peyton Krebs was whistled for what looked like routine pushing and shoving in the first period.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
In another instance at the same unspecified firm in December, the head of security led a group to storm the investigation site, pushing and shoving law enforcement officers violently, the media outlet re ported.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
In a four-game span, the Philadelphia 76ers star received a technical foul for shoving Donte DiVincenzo, and flagrant fouls for dragging Mitchell Robinson to the floor and swiping Brunson in the head.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
In the clip, he can be seen screaming in an airport terminal and shoving a stanchion.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
How does a neuron know when to stop shoving?
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoving
Verb
-
The company is also pushing for legislation to shield it from liability.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
As the city morphs into a luxury tourist destination, struggling small businesses are pushing to retain the character that drew many tourists in the first place.—
Laura Millan,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The state has been pressing the federal government for a $608 million grant to cover the state taxpayer funds used to construct and operate the detention facility, but that money hasn’t materialized.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This week, the US trade representative reinforced that strategy by pressing allies to shoulder more of the supply chain burden.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For Ioane, that comes in the form of driving a defensive lineman into the ground to clear a path for his quarterback or running back.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But the judge said that Hallford made credible claims of being a victim of domestic violence and that her ex-husband, Jon Hallford, was the driving force in their relationship.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His music is, in the best sense, grown-up, proof that a gifted songwriter can tackle the headiest, heaviest topics, compressing a novel’s worth of ideas, intelligence, irony, urbanity, humor and ambivalence into four minutes.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
De Pablo notes that AI is compressing timelines dramatically.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Orlando teammates shared a quick high-five before thrusting the air awfully close to one another.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Each actor elevates and pushes the other toward greatness, parrying and thrusting in excruciating exchanges and switching from vulnerability to anger in a matter of seconds.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoving. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
