push someone's buttons

verb

To do specific things to anger someone (or, less commonly, to sexually arouse or otherwise elicit a strong reaction from them), especially intentionally or maliciously.

“You really knew how to push my buttons.”

Similar
triggerget on someone's nerves
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Meanings

verbpush someone's buttons (third-person singular simple present pushes someone's buttons, present participle pushing someone's buttons, simple past and past participle pushed someone's buttons)

present singular third person pushes someone's buttons · participle present pushing someone's buttons · participle past pushed someone's buttons · past pushed someone's buttons · alternative press someone's buttons

  1. informalTo do specific things to anger someone (or, less commonly, to sexually arouse or otherwise elicit a strong reaction from them), especially intentionally or maliciously.

    You really knew how to push my buttons.

    2 more examples

    Near-synonyms: trigger, get on someone's nerves

    I end up cleaning up after her, which I’ve repeatedly told her makes me upset. She’s a smart, talented kid. So why does she keep pushing my buttons?

    2019 April 10, Cheryl Maguire, “How to Stop Thinking Your Teen Is ‘Pushing Your Buttons’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    Synonyms: trigger, get on someone's nerves

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo do specific things to anger someone (or, less commonly, to sexually arouse or otherwise elicit a strong reaction from them), especially intentionally or maliciously.

Similar
triggerget on someone's nerves
Also see
trigger

Translations

French taper sur le système
  • taper sur le systèmeTranslations
Polish prowokować, sprowokować
  • prowokowaćTranslations
  • sprowokowaćTranslations
Spanish buscarle las cosquillas, mojar la oreja
  • buscarle las cosquillasTranslations
  • mojar la orejaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

push someone's buttons. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/push%20someone's%20buttons

MLA

“push someone's buttons.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/push%20someone's%20buttons. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “push someone's buttons,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/push%20someone's%20buttons.

Source: push someone's buttons on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.