push someone's buttons
English
Alternative forms
Verb
push 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)
- (informal) To do specific things to anger someone (less commonly, sexually arouse or otherwise elicit a strong reaction), especially intentionally or maliciously.
- You really knew how to push my buttons.
Usage notes
- Particularly used of actions that affect the recipient but not other people, such as bringing up a particular upsetting topic or performing an irritating activity.
Synonyms
- trigger (“to spark a response”)
See also
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