button pusher

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button pusher

Where it comes from

In the provoker sense, by a metaphor in which the recipient's emotions can be manipulated on command as if prompted by literal control buttons. Thus also tangentially comparable with a puppet master who is pulling the strings to manipulate puppets.

noun button pushers

idiomatic Someone who pushes someone else's buttons: someone who goads, annoys, provokes, etc. Near-synonyms: gadfly, goader, provocateur, provoker
Similar: gadfly, goader, provocateur, provoker
derogatory, mildly, often A low-skilled or unskilled worker: someone from whom one can expect little or nothing more than rote pushing of buttons (not showing, for example, critical thinking, insight, or leadership). Bill has been working here for 4 years and is looking for ways to upskill. He says he doesn't want to be a button pusher forever.

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MLA

"button pusher." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/button%20pusher. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

button pusher. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/button%20pusher

Chicago

"button pusher." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/button%20pusher.

BibTeX

@misc{button_pusher_2026,
  title = {button pusher},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/button%20pusher},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}