Idiom
when push comes to shove
Meanings
When a situation becomes critical and a decision or action is necessary.
Definition
When push comes to shove means when a situation becomes serious and you must act or decide.
When push comes to shove is used to talk about the moment when a difficult situation becomes real and you have to take action. It often contrasts what people say with what they actually do under pressure. You can use it to emphasize that the final test is how someone behaves when things get tough.
Examples
- He talks about quitting, but when push comes to shove, he always stays.
- When push comes to shove, we’ll choose the safer option.
- She seemed unsure, yet when push comes to shove, she makes fast decisions.
- They promised to help, but when push comes to shove, they disappear.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes change the fixed wording (e.g., saying “when push comes to push”); keep the set phrase “when push comes to shove.”
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More idioms
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- close but no cigar Used to say someone almost succeeded but did not quite achieve the goal.
- down to the wire Used to say something is decided or finished only at the last possible moment.
- lost the plot To become confused or behave in a way that no longer makes sense.
- ducks in a row To have everything organized and ready for action.