1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To force a person out of a job, group, or position of power.
"The new management team gradually pushed out all the senior employees who disagreed with their strategy."
separable
push out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To force someone or something out of a position, place, or market, often gradually.
In plain English
To make someone leave or lose their place, or to remove something by pushing it.
What does "push out" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To displace a competitor or product from a market.
"Cheap imports pushed out domestic manufacturers and caused thousands of job losses."
separable
3 A2 neutral
To physically push something so that it moves outward.
"He pushed the boat out from the shore and jumped in."
separable
4 C1 idiomatic informal
(British, informal) 'Push the boat out' — to spend money generously or make a special effort for an occasion.
"They really pushed the boat out for the wedding — there were flowers everywhere and a live band."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To push something so that it moves out of a space.
Actually means
To make someone leave or lose their place, or to remove something by pushing it.
Usage tip
Common in business and political contexts to describe displacement. Also used physically. The object can be a person, company, or product.
Words that pair with "push out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
market competition rival employee product boat
How to conjugate "push out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
push out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pushes out
he/she/it
Past simple
pushed out
yesterday
Past participle
pushed out
have + pp
-ing form
pushing out
continuous
Hear "push out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "push out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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