thrust; thrusting
1
: to push or drive with force : shove
2
: to cause to enter or pierce something by or as if by pushing
thrust a dagger into his heart
5
a
: to put (someone, such as an unwilling person) forcibly into a course of action or position
was thrust into the job
b
: to introduce often improperly into a position : interpolate
6
: to press, force, or impose the acceptance of upon someone
thrust new responsibilities upon her
1
2
: to make a thrust, stab, or lunge with or as if with a pointed weapon
thrust at them with a knife
1
a
: a forward or upward push
b
: a movement (as by a group of people) in a specified direction
2
a
: salient or essential element or meaning
the thrust of the argument
b
: principal concern or objective
the plan's major thrust is testing—
Ryan Lizza
Ryan Lizza3
a
: a strong continued pressure
b
: the sideways force or pressure of one part of a structure against another part (as of an arch against an abutment)
c
: the force produced by a propeller or by a jet or rocket engine that drives a vehicle (such as an aircraft) forward
d
: a nearly horizontal geologic fault
4
a
: a push or lunge with a pointed weapon
b(1)
: a verbal attack
(2)
: a military assault
Synonyms
Examples of thrust in a Sentence
Verb
He thrust his hands into his pockets.
He thrust his fist into the air.
The doctor thrust the needle into the patient's arm.
He thrust at me with his sword.
Noun
With one last thrust he broke through the barrier.
a single thrust of his sword
Recent Examples on the Web
Javier Hasse, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Threat level: When elevators are out of order, people who are unable to take the stairs or have difficulty doing so are thrust into a crisis.
—Nathan Bomey, Axios, 5 Jan. 2025
Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2025
Lunges, hip thrusts, deadlifts—all of the lower-body staples work your gluteus maximus, or the biggest muscle in your butt.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for thrust 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Becoming Queen Zulu Amid her groundbreaking work in Louisiana, Macias was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight in a different arena: Mardi Gras.
—Javier Hasse, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Threat level: When elevators are out of order, people who are unable to take the stairs or have difficulty doing so are thrust into a crisis.
—Nathan Bomey, Axios, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
Blue Origin already has practice in booster recovery with its smaller suborbital rocket New Shepard, that fly out of Texas, but the 322-foot-tall New Glenn is a much bigger brother powered by seven of the company’s BE-4 engines, able to produce up to 3.9 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2025
Lunges, hip thrusts, deadlifts—all of the lower-body staples work your gluteus maximus, or the biggest muscle in your butt.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for thrust
Dictionary Entries Near thrust
Cite this Entry
“Thrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrust. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thrust
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a push or lunge with a pointed weapon
b
: a military attack
2
: the force produced by a propeller or jet or rocket engine that drives an aircraft or rocket forward
3
a
: a forward or upward push
b
: a movement (as by a group of people) in a particular direction
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share