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to shove down someone's throat

to shove down someone's throat

2 9.1
Force someone to accept an idea they do not want
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : imponer
  • Cancel what I said earlier; you REALLY like to shove your opinions down others' throats.
  • try to shove it down people's throats
  • shove religion down people's throats

Examples

  • "You've got to shove your religion down everybody's throat," my father yelled, his voice thick with beer.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The debate should be interesting regarding the lies Romney will be trying to shove down people's throats as he tries to act like a real nice guy.

    Blog text (22)
  • And I hope you learn how to not shove opinions down people's throats.

    Blog text (20)
  • Quit shoving your "religion" down everyone's throat!

    Blog text (19)
  • While you can like whatever you want, shoving it down other people's throats won't help anybody.

    Blog text (19)
  • I don't feel I have the right to shove atheism down someone's throat, just like I don't believe theists should shove their religion down mine.

    Blog text (26)
  • It's frustrating when people try to shove down my throat ideas I don't agree with.

  • The campaign was criticized for attempting to shove down people's throats policies without proper discussion.

  • He felt that his supervisor was trying to shove down his throat her vision for the project without input from the team.

Synonyms

to impose
vsto shove down someone's throat
271 4.8

Force someone to accept something they do not want

is focused on ideas and opinions rather than all imposed things
to pressure
vsto shove down someone's throat
149 4.2

To try to make someone do something

is typically more aggressive and insists on acceptance of ideas
to coerce
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Offensive
91 6.4

Force someone to do something by threats

applies especially to forcing beliefs rather than only actions
to thrust
vsto shove down someone's throat
41 6.7

To force something on someone, often against their will

highlights direct forceful imposition rather than gentle suggestion
to bludgeon
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • NSFW
6 8.2

To force someone to do something by threats or strong pressure

uses a physical-sounding metaphor but keeps the same aggressive imposition
to impel
vsto shove down someone's throat
4 7.2

To make someone feel they must do something, often because of pressure or need

is interpersonal insistence to accept ideas rather than necessity-driven urge
to force down
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Informal
2 7.0

To make someone accept ideas they do not want

is more about aggressive insistence rather than mild persuasion
to ram down
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Informal
1 7.9

To force ideas or rules on someone by repeating them against their will

focuses on repeated imposition rather than a single act
to impose one's beliefs
vsto shove down someone's throat
1 7.2

Force your beliefs on other people who do not want them

is broader covering any unwanted insisting ideas or opinions
to twist someone's arm
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Informal
1 4.4

Get someone to agree or do something by pressuring them

uses more aggressive insistence on agreeing rather than gentle persuasion
to ram down someone's throat
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Informal
1 8.9

Force someone to accept ideas or opinions without their choice

is similar but with less violent wording
to jawbone
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Literature
1 7.9

Talk strongly to someone to try to persuade them

is more about forcing agreement than public persuasion
to force down someone's throat
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Informal
1 8.3

Make someone accept ideas or opinions they do not want by pressuring them

uses stronger, more physical-sounding wording
to bullyrag
vsto shove down someone's throat
  • Offensive
9.9

To frighten or shout at someone to make them do what you want

is similar but targets acceptance of ideas rather than general harassment

Antonyms

839 1.9

Refuse to accept someone or something

How Forceful

to coerce
  • Offensive
91 6.4
to shove down someone's throat
  • Informal
2 9.1
to force
2.3
to push
958 1.1
to persuade
472 2.7
to encourage
2.3
to suggest
1.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

shove + down + someone's + throat

The verb 'shove' (to push forcefully) combined with the image of something going 'down someone's throat' evokes a physical force metaphor for imposing something on a person, so learners can often infer a sense of forcing or imposing. However, mapping that physical image specifically to 'forcing acceptance or support of an idea' is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable from composition alone, so prior exposure or contextual cues make the precise meaning clearer.

Etymology

The phrase shove down someone's throat comes from the strong picture of pushing food or an object into someone's mouth, with shove meaning push and throat as the place it goes. That's why it now means 'to force someone to accept or support something'.