elbow

verb

Definition of elbownext
as in to push
to force one's way the sort of greedy person who is always the first to elbow to the front of the buffet table at every party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 elbow Their antennae are straight rather than elbowed, and winged termites, known as swarmers, have four wings that are roughly equal in length. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026 Cavatappi’s corkscrew shape catches every bite of the creamy sauce, but elbow macaroni or small shells work just as well. — Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026 Shoulder and elbow damage is especially common in older players. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026 Officials reviewed the Cunningham play and still left the foul on the player who got elbowed. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elbow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elbow
  1. push
  2. squeeze
  3. shoulder
Verb
  • Taken together, current and former officials interviewed say, those positions could narrow the military's recruiting pool while pushing some troops already in uniform to reconsider staying.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Sangare was one of the core players of the Lens side who pushed Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain hard for the French title last season, eventually coming up six points short.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of push
Verb
  • Cheap electric cars dominate one end of the market, Tesla occupies the premium end, and the middle is getting squeezed.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Washington is trying to choke Iran's ability to get its crude out while Tehran is squeezing the artery through which everybody else's crude gets through.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The Republican front runner proposed a law, the Protecting Ratepayers Act, calling for data center developers to shoulder their own costs for utilities.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • He’s expected to shoulder the costs of the trip, though his NYPD detail is also expected to accompany him.
    — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of shoulder

Phrases Containing elbow

Browse Nearby Words

elations
elbow
elbowed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elbow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elbow. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on elbow

Nglish: Translation of elbow for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about elbow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All