push through

succeed in getting a law or plan approved despite opposition

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What does "push sth through" mean?

To push through a law, bill, or policy means to succeed in getting it officially approved, even though there is strong opposition or the process is difficult. The phrase implies that the person or group driving the change had to exert considerable effort and override resistance — it is not used when a measure passes smoothly with broad support. There is a subtle critical undertone to the phrase: it suggests the process was forceful rather than collaborative, though it is not as openly negative as alternatives like 'ram through'. You will encounter it most often in political journalism and news reporting, where it typically appears alongside signals of urgency, slim margins, or controversy — for example, 'pushed through at the last minute' or 'pushed through despite fierce opposition'. The subject is almost always a political actor such as a government, prime minister, or administration, and the object is always a piece of legislation or policy.

Examples

How to use it

subject + push through + legislation/bill/reform

The most common pattern: a political actor takes a legislative object directly after 'through', with no separation.

The government pushed through a sweeping set of environmental regulations despite fierce opposition from industry groups.

subject + push + bill/reform + through

Separation works naturally with shorter objects and can add rhetorical emphasis to what was passed; avoid this form with long or complex noun phrases.

The administration managed to push the budget through before the deadline, though only by a narrow margin.

subject + push + it/them + through

When the object is a pronoun, it must always sit between 'push' and 'through' — it cannot come after 'through'.

There was significant resistance to the new measures, but the party pushed them through anyway.

legislation/bill + be pushed through + parliament/Congress

The passive is very natural in this context, particularly in journalism, when the focus is on what was passed rather than who passed it.

The controversial austerity measures were pushed through parliament with almost no opportunity for debate.

try/manage/attempt to + push through + legislation/bill/reform

Infinitive constructions with verbs like 'manage to', 'try to', or 'attempt to' are extremely common and capture the effort involved.

The prime minister had tried to push through electoral reform twice before, but this time she had enough votes.

Common Collocations

a billlegislationreformsan amendmenta budgetmeasures

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'push through' with 'push for'

'Push for' means to campaign or argue in favour of something, without implying success. 'Push through' means the measure was actually approved despite resistance. Using 'push through' when you only mean to describe advocacy — not a successful outcome — will mislead the reader.

✗ Environmental groups have been pushing through stricter emissions targets for years.
✓ Environmental groups have been pushing for stricter emissions targets for years.
Using it when there is no opposition

'Push through' carries a near-obligatory implication that there was resistance or difficulty. Applying it to a measure that passed easily or with universal support sounds unnatural and misleading.

✗ The popular new public holiday bill was pushed through with unanimous support.
✓ The popular new public holiday bill was passed with unanimous support.
Placing a pronoun after 'through'

When the object is a pronoun such as 'it' or 'them', it must come between 'push' and 'through', never after 'through'.

✗ The senate was determined to push through it before the recess.
✓ The senate was determined to push it through before the recess.

Usage

This phrasal verb is formal and most common in political journalism and reporting. It carries a slightly negative undertone, suggesting the approval process was rushed or forced, so avoid it in contexts where you want to describe a widely welcomed policy change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'push through' always suggest something negative or undemocratic?

Not entirely, but it does carry a subtle critical undertone — it implies the process was forceful rather than consensual. It is more neutral than 'ram through' or 'force through', which are clearly pejorative. If you want to describe a policy change positively or without implying controversy, it is safer to use 'pass' or 'approve' instead.

Can 'push through' be used without mentioning the opposition explicitly?

Yes — you do not need to state the opposition directly in the sentence, because the phrase implies it. Saying 'the government pushed through the reforms' already suggests there was resistance. You can add adverbials like 'despite fierce criticism' or 'by a slim majority' for more detail, but they are optional.

Is 'push through' used in formal writing, or is it too informal?

It is well established in formal written contexts, particularly political journalism, news reporting, and policy analysis. You will regularly see it in broadsheet newspapers and political commentary. It is less common in casual conversation, but this is simply because the topic — legislation and governance — rarely comes up informally.

Can 'push through' mean something other than passing legislation?

Yes — the same form can describe physically forcing one's way through a crowd or obstacle (e.g. 'she pushed through the crowd'). However, in that physical sense the object is a space or group of people, not a law or policy, so context makes the meaning clear. This page focuses only on the legislative and political sense.

Is there a difference between 'push through' and 'get through' when talking about legislation?

'Get through' also describes a bill or policy being successfully passed, but it does not carry the same strong implication of deliberate effort and overcoming resistance. 'Push through' emphasises that political will was required to overcome opposition; 'get through' simply describes the successful outcome without necessarily implying a struggle.

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