push (redirected from be pushed)

at a push (British & Australian)

if you can do something at a push, you can do it but it will be difficult. I could finish the job by Friday - at a push, Thursday afternoon.

get the push (British & Australian, informal)

1. give someone the push - to end someone's employment. I hear Nick got the push from the brickworks last week.

(British & Australian, informal)

2. give someone the push - to end a relationship with someone. Mandy's a bit upset - she got the push from Martin last night.

give someone the push

1. to end someone's employment. After twenty years' loyal service, they gave her the push.

2. to end a relationship with someone. They'd only been seeing each other for two weeks when he gave her the push.

See also: give

hit/press/push the panic button

to do something quickly without thinking about it in order to deal with a difficult or worrying situation. We may have lost the last three games but we're not pushing the panic button yet. (often negative)

See also: button, hit, panic, press

if/when push comes to shove

if you say that something can be done if push comes to shove, you mean that it can be done if the situation becomes so bad that you have to do it. Look, if push comes to shove we'll just have to sell the car.

See also: come, shove

press/push the right button/buttons

to do exactly what is necessary to get the result that you want. You have to know how to push all the right buttons if you want to be a successful diplomat. Sometimes you're interviewing someone really shy and then you press the right button and they just don't stop talking.

See also: button, press, right

push at an open door

to achieve what you want easily because a lot of people agree with you or help you. The campaigners are pushing at an open door because most local residents support their campaign against the new road. (usually in continuous tenses)

See also: door, open

push your luck

to try too hard to get a particular result and risk losing what you have achieved. Don't push your luck - they've agreed to pay your travel expenses, I don't think it would be wise to ask for more money. (usually negative)

See also: luck

push the boat out (British)

to spend a lot of money or more money than you usually do, especially when you are celebrating. As it's your birthday, I think we can push the boat out and have a bottle of champagne. They really pushed the boat out for Jane's wedding. (sometimes + for)

See also: boat

push/drive someone over the edge (informal)

if an unpleasant event pushes someone over the edge, it makes them start to behave in a crazy way. She had been driven over the edge by the separation from her husband.

See also: drive, edge, over

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push (someone) around

to threaten to hurt someone who is smaller or weaker. I feel like I'm in third grade and the fourth-grade bully is pushing me around and trying to steal my baseball cards. I was a lot skinnier then and could get pushed around.

See also: around

push someone's buttons

to do exactly the right thing to get people to act the way you want. He was an extremely good speaker and knew just how to push an audience's buttons to keep them interested.

Usage notes: also used in the form know what buttons to push: People in your own family know exactly what buttons to push to upset you.

yank someone's chain

See also: button

push for something

to make a strong effort to get something or make something happen. The president is meeting with members of Congress to push for an increase in the minimum wage.

push your luck

to expect good things to continue to happen because they have in the past. I was fortunate to survive the crash, and there was no point pushing my luck by continuing to race.

Usage notes: often used in the phrase don't push your luck: We've given you a lot of time off recently, but don't push your luck.

See also: luck

push off

to leave. The settlers who pushed off for the far west opened the land for farming.

push on

to continue to go forward. Although we needed to stop and rest, we decided to press on in order to reach the river by evening.

push (the edge of) the envelope

to move beyond the limit of what has usually been done or was the accepted standard. TV shows are really pushing the envelope by showing so much sex and violence.

push the panic button

to react to a situation with fear and confusion. Our coach isn't about to push the panic button just because we've lost two games in a row.

Usage notes: sometimes used with other verbs that have a similar meaning, such as press and hit: It's too early to hit the panic button, but our stocks lost half their value today.

See also: button, panic

when push comes to shove

when all the easy solutions to a problem have not worked, and something must be done. Only a few people will really come through for you when push comes to shove.

See also: come, shove