shove around

shove (one) around

To harass, bully, or threaten one; to give one orders in a domineering or forceful manner. The larger kids in the class tend to shove the smaller ones around. Don't let Tom shove you around like that—stand up for yourself, or report him to HR if you need to.
See also: around, shove
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

shove someone around

 
1. Lit. to push someone around. The bigger boys shoved him around easily because he is so small, Karen shoved around the little kids until they got mad at her.
2. Fig. to harass someone. Stop shoving me around! Who do you think you are? Do you think you can shove around just anybody?
See also: around, shove
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

shove around

v.
To give someone orders in a forceful or unpleasant way; bully someone: We refuse to allow corporate lawyers to shove us around. The restaurant management shoved around the employees.
See also: around, shove
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
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One of the most dramatic changes many of us made during the late 1960s and early '70s was the belief--no, the certainty--that the Earth is not made up of humans and a huge, dumb collection of things--trees, rocks, rivers, animals, air--for us to shove around and exploit in any old way we please.
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If anyone is going to shove around Sebastian Coe, then it should be the Metropolitan police.
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Like Sid Vicious before him, Pete will find his cellmates made of slightly sterner stuff than the paparazzi, the fans and the reporters that he loves to shove around.
TONY PARSONS: Kate, the crack's starting to show
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