1Push suddenly or violently in a specified direction.

1. 1.1no object, with adverbial of direction Move or advance forcibly.
   ‘she thrust through the bramble canes’
   More example sentences

   • ‘he tried to thrust his way past her’
   • ‘And underneath all that mock facial serenity, I wished for the lift door to thrust open and once again be released into the open.’
   • ‘The points flowed freely in the second half and then Richardson thrust his way through after Keith Robinson just failed to steal the ball at a ruck.’
   • ‘She had been trying to thrust her way into the popular group ever since any of us could remember, and followed the popular rule about being a non-cheerleader.’
   • ‘She thrust her way through the crowd and ran out of the gym, the heavy doors slamming loudly behind her.’
   • ‘She closed her eyes for a moment, and thrust her way through the barriers of his mind.’
   • ‘The social climbers thrust their way into the noble preserve not to destroy it but to make it their own.’
   • ‘Traditional fishing methods include thrusting and scooping with baskets as well as the building of funnels and weirs from reeds and sticks.’
   • ‘Disregarding the two of them, he thrust expertly at Jack, who blocked effortlessly and returned the blow.’
   • ‘Justin practices his dance moves offstage before his performances, and if you're there and looking closely, you can see him silhouetted behind the scrim, kicking and thrusting.’
   • ‘He shouts, digging his spikes in, thrusting upward.’
   • ‘Many people might have felt better knowing that ministers are also troubled by the crime monster whose tentacles appear to be thrusting unstoppably all over.’
   • ‘A hand thrust itself downwards and pushed aside a branch like a shop owner holding a door open for a customer.’
   • ‘Gripping the rifle tightly, Shawn thrust himself into the corridor.’
   • ‘Seconds later, his body thrust forward with a force that sundered the straps holding him in the chair and he fell to the floor, dead.’
2. 1.2no object, with adverbial of direction Extend so as to project conspicuously.
   ‘beside the boathouse a jetty thrust out into the water’
   More example sentences

   • ‘The twin towers of Petronas, the tallest in the world, stand like crystalline fingers thrusting into the dark Malaysian sky.’
   • ‘Some of the incense is still burning while others are just cold shells, the red and pink sticks thrusting lifeless out of the sand.’
   • ‘On the north-east side, the stand thrusts out at a precipitous angle, like the hull of a ship, rhythmically articulated by broad ribs, each of which contains a staircase.’
   • ‘There's the big Dome standing forlorn and empty, its twelve yellow spikes thrusting defiantly into the sky.’
   • ‘Through the fog we see the distant peaks of the Kobowre Mountains, part of New Guinea's east-west backbone, which thrusts 16,000 feet skyward.’
   • ‘Arcos, 30 kilometres east of Jerez, is perched on a huge rock which thrusts 200 metres up from the Rio Guadalete.’
   • ‘The form as a whole thrusts out from the neat pedestal on which it stands.’
   • ‘A long bar with a library at ground level and bedrooms above thrusts out towards the street.’
   • ‘The lectern end of the hall is tucked under a volume that thrusts into the two-story space.’
   • ‘Set midway along the main bar, the library forms the building's conceptual and physical centre, thrusting out at right angles like the truncated prow of a ship.’
   • ‘Sculpted masonry buildings - offices and stores - thrust up from the streets of downtown.’
   Synonyms

   stick out, jut out, jut, protrude, extend, stand out, hang over, overhang, bulge out, poke out, lap over, ride over, thrust out, obtrude, cantilever

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3. 1.3thrust something on/uponForce (someone) to accept or deal with something.
   ‘he felt that fame had been thrust upon him’
   More example sentences

   • ‘It is likely to deprive the side of a key player and thrust a fresh burden on Andrew Flintoff, who is next in line to take over the captaincy.’
   • ‘Some friends do complain and very seriously too that I involuntarily thrust my opinions upon others and get my proposals accepted.’
   • ‘Although she does not set out to be a crusader, she accepts the role once it is thrust upon her.’
   • ‘Being a diplomat's wife thrusts multiple roles on her and often she has to burn the proverbial midnight oil to catch up on unfinished work on the canvas.’
   • ‘Spencer Plaza has since its inception evolved as a landmark of the present times, thrusting its presence on the city skyline.’
   • ‘And he writes to her from Madurai suggesting that they elope and marry as his parents will never agree for their marriage and are thrusting another girl on him.’
   • ‘Care must be taken not to thrust their dreams on the children.’
   • ‘Problems arise in a relationship when guys try to thrust their views on girls.’
   • ‘It has been a while since the Manic Street Preachers thrust their manifesto upon us.’
   • ‘Grieving people can lose perspective and thrust their sorrow on the rest of us, as if exposing their suffering makes it more legitimate or significant.’
   • ‘There is discontent and he is a bit of a focus for that, but this latest outbreak has also thrust the spotlight on other potential replacements.’
   • ‘Vijay TV's journalists thrust a camera on Jyotika's face when she had come to the crematorium to pay her last respects.’
   • ‘The claim immediately thrust the spotlight on to Hoon, whose department faces fierce criticism over its treatment of Kelly.’
   • ‘The row in Montgomery has thrust the issue on to the political agenda and set the stage for a rash of similar cases.’
   • ‘As the only ISP that thrusts its own software on us, is it a viable option?’
   • ‘The only difference is that the leader enjoys hugely grown information opportunities for thrusting the global idea on the world community.’
   • ‘These settlers were respected, hard working and honest people who did not thrust their opinions upon the notice of their neighbours.’
   • ‘A young entrepreneur named Hugh Hefner thrust his ambition upon the marketplace with a new magazine called Playboy.’
   • ‘Dr. David Thorpe returns this week from an extended ‘vacation,’ and he's as eager as ever to thrust his vitriol on an unsuspecting public.’
   • ‘Forced to move against the grain of normal usage, they thrust upon us unexpected links and so make us look again at what we took for granted.’

1A sudden or violent lunge with a pointed weapon or a bodily part.

1. 1.1A forceful attack or effort.
   ‘executives led a new thrust in business development’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Then, as Tolbukhin parried further German armoured thrusts, Malinovsky mounted an attack on Buda.’
   • ‘As they go into battle, simultaneous armoured thrusts will be launched from Kuwait and Turkey.’
   • ‘A criticism levelled at Inveraray is that the attacking thrust is often thwarted by over-elaboration among the forwards.’
   • ‘They have described massive thrusts by armour from all sides; airborne attacks to take out Baghdad; vast seaborne raids.’
   • ‘After repelling Oxford's more determined thrusts, City broke free from their shackles as a Richard Hope shot from 25 yards was deflected wide for a corner.’
   • ‘The first thrust into the city was from the western front.’
   • ‘The raids of the defenders were generally relieved by big thrusts carried out by forces far superior to those of the attackers.’
   • ‘If an attacker can be made to believe that his offensive thrust will fail, then the defense will not be challenged.’
   • ‘Spectators did not have to wait long for the thrust of the second half to manifest itself.’
   • ‘In late March 1942, No.75 Squadron hurriedly deployed to Port Moresby in the face of initial Japanese air thrusts against the city.’
   • ‘The occasional offensive thrusts were, in fact, part of an overall defensive scheme adopted to allow the general and his staff to determine how best to counter the tribesmen.’
   • ‘By participating in such activities, the ‘new’ Irish domestic servant countered the thrust of forced assimilation.’
   • ‘Chelios, in fact, is at his best when he rubs a player out along the boards in his own end to stop an offensive thrust, then sends the puck up the ice to a teammate and joins in the rush.’
   • ‘Sparta still carry the greater thrust from midfield.’
   • ‘At the time, Dr. Ink praised this move as gutsy, a daring thrust into enemy territory.’
   • ‘He leaped; a powerful thrust of his wings bore him away from his assailant.’
   • ‘Then, starting on April 3, U.S. divisions began making violent thrusts into Baghdad, first seizing the airport.’
   Synonyms

   advance, push, drive, charge, attack, assault, onslaught, onrush, offensive, sortie, foray, raid, sally, invasion, incursion, blitz, campaign

   barbed remark, verbal assault, verbal attack, barb, hostile remark, insult

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2. 1.2in singular The principal purpose or theme of a course of action or line of reasoning.
   ‘anti-Americanism became the main thrust of their policy’
   More example sentences

   • ‘While the central themes embody the main thrust of what the text actually said, a study of the marginal and omitted ideas may be more fruitful and enlightening.’
   • ‘Most of the bigger unions representing the public sector have quietly accepted the main thrust of the benchmarking report.’
   • ‘The main thrust of his message was that for those who stick with sheep and are prepared to do it properly, there will be good returns.’
   • ‘The main thrust of Jesus' message in verses 44-52 remains that of humility.’
   • ‘Again I can state my conclusions relatively briefly, since here too I accept the main thrust of Miss Lieven's submissions.’
   • ‘The main thrust of the Green's message yesterday was that a vote against the Treaty was not a vote against enlargement.’
   • ‘But the main thrust of correspondence focused on the future of a particular medical practice.’
   • ‘Yes, the motives of fame and posterity are there, but the main thrust of their reasoning is that they want to stay alive.’
   • ‘What is missing is some sense of the thrust of the propaganda effort.’
   • ‘But is not the whole thrust of these reports against your submissions?’
   • ‘"Ever since the 1950's, the whole thrust of our economic policy has been to broaden our economic base.’
   • ‘The problem was that Mr Johnson obviously still agreed with the central thrust of the article.’
   • ‘A major thrust of this article is that situations and persons can affect results interactively.’
   • ‘The survey gives a valuable insight into the investigative process, and supports the general thrust of the book.’
   • ‘The broad thrust of the report was interesting and pertinent, but some of the recommendations invite closer examination.’
   • ‘The entire thrust of German policy since the 60s has been towards a corporate state.’
   • ‘The thrust of the attacks was that the families had the gall to ‘stand up to the government and yet expect help from the government.’’
   • ‘Presently, the initial thrust of the business will be in the film industry.’
   • ‘That's the thrust of City of York Council's transport policy, which aims to promote walking and cycling at the expense of the car.’
   • ‘The thrust of any development initiative should be to stimulate the thinking process of the people and enable them to voice their views openly.’
   Synonyms

   gist, substance, drift, implication, intention, burden, meaning, significance, signification, sense, essence, thesis, import, purport, tenor, message, spirit

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2mass noun The propulsive force of a jet or rocket engine.

1. 2.1The lateral pressure exerted by an arch or other support in a building.
   ‘semi-domes assist in containing the thrust within the building’
   More example sentences

   • ‘The tubes resist lateral thrust caused by bead-cable tension forces that are contained within the overall assembly.’
   • ‘Its main longitudinal arch thrust is held by six pre-stressed concrete ties, which are fixed into the abutment foundations.’
   • ‘To resist lateral thrust, the design includes tie beams of posttensioned concrete beneath the foundation slab.’
   • ‘However, these geometries will exist only in a patch in the roof thrust.’
   • ‘The result is for the roof thrust to have a greater chance of being folded.’

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