push the envelope

idiom

: to go beyond the usual or normal limits by doing something new, dangerous, etc.
a director who has pushed the envelope in his recent films
a new airplane design that pushes the envelope

Examples of push the envelope in a Sentence

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Mayfield is already more willing than most to push the envelope, against any opponent, but the Eagles' secondary completely forced him into that mode. Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Thug has managed to find a way to push the envelope all these years later with Uy Scuti, adorning a Druski-esque whiteface that reads as a somewhat subversive take on the current moment’s politics. Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025 Leveraged buyouts are often followed by cost-cutting and a focus on improving short-term revenue, which in this case could see EA further push the envelope with promoting in-game purchases and subscriptions to EA Play at a time its live service revenue growth has slowed. Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2025 There weren’t many painters, and the ones that did exist didn’t push the envelope toward the newer vibe of golf. Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for push the envelope

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“Push the envelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/push%20the%20envelope. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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