1 A2 neutral
To move past a person or group by pushing them, often in a rude or urgent way.
"She pushed past the crowd of reporters and jumped into the waiting car."
inseparable
push past
A2 neutral inseparable transitive
To move past someone or something using physical force, often rudely.
In plain English
To move past someone by pushing them out of the way.
What does "push past" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To overcome or get beyond a difficulty or obstacle.
"It took months of therapy, but she finally pushed past her fear of public speaking."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To push in order to move past someone or something.
Actually means
To move past someone by pushing them out of the way.
Usage tip
Describes physical movement through a crowd or past a person. Often implies rudeness or urgency. Also used figuratively to describe overcoming an obstacle.
Words that pair with "push past"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowd people guards reporters obstacle barrier
How to conjugate "push past"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
push past
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pushes past
he/she/it
Past simple
pushed past
yesterday
Past participle
pushed past
have + pp
-ing form
pushing past
continuous
Hear "push past" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "push past" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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