bulldoze

verb

bull·​doze ˈbu̇l-ˌdōz 

 also  ˈbəl-

bulldozed; bulldozing; bulldozes

transitive verb

1

: to coerce or restrain by threats : bully

2

: to move, clear, gouge out, or level off by pushing with or as if with a bulldozer

3

: to force insensitively or ruthlessly

intransitive verb

1

: to operate a bulldozer

2

: to force one's way like a bulldozer

Synonyms

• bore
• bull
• crash
• elbow
• jam
• jostle
• muscle
• press
• push
• shoulder
• squeeze

Choose the Right Synonym for bulldoze

intimidate, cow, bulldoze, bully, browbeat mean to frighten into submission.

intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.

intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.

not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.

bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.

bullied into giving up their lunch money

browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.

browbeat the witness into a contradiction

Examples of bulldoze in a Sentence

The crew is bulldozing the trees.

They bulldozed a road through the hills.

The governor bulldozed the law through the legislature.

Recent Examples on the Web

Israeli forces even bulldozed their village cemetery where generations of family members are buried. —Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

That would require persuading the U.S. Postal Service to bulldoze its parking garage adjacent to Hennepin Avenue. —Kyle Stokes, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024

In Horse Crazy, his implacable skepticism forces the reader to consider the alienating effects of an era characterized by lethal STIs, unrepentant capitalism, bulldozed cultural history, and pervasive substance addiction. —Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024

But this made employees feel as if the possibility of internal promotions were being bulldozed, and so some left. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from bull entry 1 + alteration of dose

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing bulldoze

• bulldoze one's way

Kids Definition

bulldoze

verb

bull·​doze ˈbu̇l-ˌdōz 

bulldozed; bulldozing

1

: to move, clear, or level with a bulldozer

2

: to force as if by using a bulldozer

bulldozed their way through the crowd