Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

when push comes to shove

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.62 in modern English

Syllables: when -push -comes -to shove
IPA

41

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

4

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

When the pressure is on; when the situation is critical or urgent; when the time has come for action, even if it is difficult.

Example Sentences

"He is not a particularly talented builder, but when push comes to shove, he can usually get the job done."
"While most chose at that time either to disband or to join the APC rally several blocks north in McPherson Park, several hundred mostly young DC-area blacks and a sizable number of militant Palestinians continued to demand their right to confront the Klan. Push somehow came to shove and the face-off began. Several hours of street fighting followed."
""We've demonstrated that when push comes to shove, we can be really fast, we can be agile, we can do things more slickly."

Inflected Forms

if push comes to shove (alternative)

Phrases

in a pinch nut-cutting time when the chips are down when the gloves come off

Frequently Paired Words

in a pinch nut-cutting time when the chips are down when the gloves come off

Questions

What does when push comes to shove mean?: When the pressure is on; when the situation is critical or urgent; when the time has come for action, even if it is difficult.

How to pronounce when push comes to shove

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