En 15 secondes
- Moving a scheduled event to a later time or date.
- Commonly used in offices, schools, and casual social planning.
- A polite way to ask for more time without canceling.
Signification
When you move a planned event, meeting, or deadline to a later time or date because you need more time.
Exemples clés
3 sur 6Texting a friend while stuck in traffic
Hey, can we push back dinner to 8:00? Traffic is a nightmare.
Hey, can we delay dinner until 8:00?
A formal business email about a project
Due to the recent feedback, we need to push back the launch date by two weeks.
We need to move the launch date two weeks later.
A student asking a professor for more time
Is there any way we could push back the essay deadline?
Can we move the essay deadline to a later date?
Contexte culturel
The phrase reflects the 'Time is Money' mindset of Western corporate culture, where schedules are treated as physical objects that can be manipulated. It gained massive popularity in Silicon Valley and Wall Street as a way to manage overbooked calendars without sounding disorganized. Interestingly, in some cultures, delaying a meeting is seen as rude, but in English-speaking business circles, 'pushing back' is often seen as a sign of being busy and important.
The 'It' Rule
If you use the word 'it', always put it in the middle: 'Push it back'. Saying 'Push back it' sounds very unnatural to native speakers.
Noun vs. Verb
Be careful! 'To push back' (verb) means to delay. 'To get pushback' (noun) means someone is disagreeing with you or resisting your plan.
En 15 secondes
- Moving a scheduled event to a later time or date.
- Commonly used in offices, schools, and casual social planning.
- A polite way to ask for more time without canceling.
What It Means
Push back is all about rescheduling. Think of a physical timeline in front of you. When you push back an event, you are literally sliding it further away into the future. It is the opposite of pulling forward. You aren't canceling the plan. You are just saying, "Not now, maybe later."
How To Use It
You can use it with an object or without. You can push back the meeting or just say let's push back. It is a separable phrasal verb. This means you can say push it back or push back the deadline. Both are perfectly fine. Just don't use it for things that happened in the past. It only works for things that haven't happened yet.
When To Use It
Use this when life gets messy. Use it when your hair appointment runs late. Use it when a project needs two more days of work. It is perfect for professional emails. It is also great for texting a friend when you are stuck in traffic. It sounds much more proactive than just saying "I am late."
When NOT To Use It
Don't use push back for people. You can't push back your brother (unless you are literally shoving him). Also, avoid using it for permanent cancellations. If the party is dead, it is canceled, not pushed back. If you use it for a doctor's appointment, they might call it "rescheduling" instead.
Cultural Background
In Western business culture, time is seen as a physical resource. We talk about it like an object we can move. Push back became very popular in the 1990s corporate world. It sounds softer than "delay." It implies that the schedule is flexible, not that you are failing. It is the ultimate "polite" way to ask for more time.
Common Variations
You might hear people use pushback as a noun. This is different! If your boss gives you pushback, it means they are resisting your idea. They are literally pushing against you. Don't confuse the two. One moves a meeting; the other starts an argument. Stick to the verb version for scheduling.
Notes d'usage
The phrase is highly versatile and safe for almost any context. Just remember that in a professional setting, it's polite to provide a reason why you are pushing something back.
The 'It' Rule
If you use the word 'it', always put it in the middle: 'Push it back'. Saying 'Push back it' sounds very unnatural to native speakers.
Noun vs. Verb
Be careful! 'To push back' (verb) means to delay. 'To get pushback' (noun) means someone is disagreeing with you or resisting your plan.
The Polite Delay
In English, 'push back' sounds more professional than 'delay'. 'Delay' sounds like a mistake happened. 'Push back' sounds like a strategic choice.
Exemples
6Hey, can we push back dinner to 8:00? Traffic is a nightmare.
Hey, can we delay dinner until 8:00?
Very common for casual social delays.
Due to the recent feedback, we need to push back the launch date by two weeks.
We need to move the launch date two weeks later.
Sounds professional and decisive.
Is there any way we could push back the essay deadline?
Can we move the essay deadline to a later date?
Polite way to ask for an extension.
My wedding is at 4:00, but knowing me, we'll probably push back the 'I do's' until 5:00.
We will probably delay the ceremony until 5:00.
Uses the phrase to poke fun at personal habits.
The kids won't stop crying; let's push back the movie until they're asleep.
Let's watch the movie later once the kids sleep.
Shows how the phrase works for small household plans.
The rain forced the organizers to push back the start of the parade.
The organizers had to delay the start of the parade.
Used for events affected by external factors.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct way to use 'push back' in a sentence about a meeting.
I'm not ready for the presentation. Can we ___ the meeting to Friday?
'Push back' is the only phrase here that means to reschedule for a later time.
Complete the sentence using the correct word order.
The deadline is too tight. Let's ___ by a week.
When using a pronoun like 'it', it must go between 'push' and 'back'.
🎉 Score : /2
Aides visuelles
Formality of 'Push Back'
Texting a friend about coffee.
Push it back 10 mins?
Standard office communication.
Let's push back the call.
Official announcements.
The board has decided to push back the merger.
When to Push Back
Work Deadlines
Project due dates
Social Plans
Dinner or drinks
Travel
Flight or train delays
Appointments
Hairdresser or gym session
Banque d exercices
2 exercicesI'm not ready for the presentation. Can we ___ the meeting to Friday?
'Push back' is the only phrase here that means to reschedule for a later time.
The deadline is too tight. Let's ___ by a week.
When using a pronoun like 'it', it must go between 'push' and 'back'.
🎉 Score : /2
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt means moving the meeting to a later time or date. For example, 'Can we push back our 2 PM to 3 PM?'
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss in an email or with your best friend in a text message.
No, it only applies to future events. You cannot push back something that is already in the past.
'Postpone' is more formal. 'Push back' is more common in daily conversation and office talk.
Generally, no. You push back events or times. If you say 'I pushed back Sarah,' people will think you physically shoved her.
Use 'by'. For example, 'We need to push back the deadline by three days.'
This is the noun form. It means facing resistance. 'I got some pushback from the team on the new budget' means they didn't like it.
No. 'Push back' implies the event will still happen, just later. 'Cancel' means it is not happening at all.
Yes! That is the opposite. It means moving an event to an earlier time than originally planned.
Use no hyphen for the verb ('We need to push back'). Use a hyphen or one word for the noun ('There was some push-back').
Expressions liées
put off
To delay doing something, often because you don't want to do it.
rain check
A polite way to decline an invitation now but suggest doing it later.
hold off
To wait before doing something or making a decision.
reschedule
The standard, neutral word for changing the time of an appointment.
