# push in

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/push-in
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to go to the front of a line of people instead of waiting your turn at the back.

For teachers: to unfairly join a queue or line at a point ahead of those already waiting. The verb is typically intransitive in this sense.

## Examples

- He often pushes in when there is a long queue.
- I had been waiting for ten minutes when a teenager tried to push in right in front of me.
- The orderly queue at the ticket office dissolved into chaos when several latecomers attempted to push in, sparking a heated argument among the commuters.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He pushed in me." but "He pushed in front of me." — The phrasal verb is intransitive, so you cannot place a person as the direct object; use 'in front of' instead.

## Usage notes

- This phrase is primarily used in British English to describe jumping a queue.
- Teaching tip: Use this to teach British social etiquette and contrast it with the American 'cut in line'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.