To push means to press against something with force to move it away from you. When you push a shopping cart, you lean your weight against it and it rolls forward. When you push a swing, you use your hands to send it sailing through the air.

The word works in many contexts beyond physical movement. Teachers might push their students to work harder and reach their full potential. Athletes push themselves to run faster or jump higher than they thought possible. Scientists push the boundaries of knowledge by asking questions no one has answered before. In these cases, pushing means applying steady effort or pressure toward a goal.

You can also push for something you believe in, like pushing for a longer recess or pushing for fairer rules in a game. This means advocating strongly and persistently. Sometimes people push their luck by testing how far they can go before something goes wrong, like asking for one more cookie after already having three.

The opposite of push is pull, where you draw something toward you instead of away. When you're stuck between people in a crowded hallway, you might feel pushed and pulled in different directions at once.