1no object, with adverbial of direction Move with urgent haste.

1. 1.1 (of air or a liquid) flow strongly.
   the water rushed in through the great oaken gates

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Only a few inches separated them from live rails on the British side of the Channel as air rushed through vents in the compartment.
   • The crisp air rushed in from the water, lightly caressing their faces.
   • As the air rushes past it collects small quantities of the solution which are then deposited onto the skin.
   • But the finality in Angela's voice deflated that hope like air rushing from a popped balloon.
   • When she opened the window, heavy smoke rushed into the room.
   • The tsunami that devastated south-east Asia is not how I pictured it at all - fast rushing water is what I am seeing portrayed on screen.
   • We rode into the clearing and the sound of the river rushing seemed almost unreal.
   • It's a common problem to most cities, especially those with combined sewers, like ours that trap rushing rainwater.
   • He heard the air rushing past him before he felt the first hit; he fell to the ground, hitting his face on the floor.
   • The hot air rushes ever upward, creating a constant flow of wind that propels wind turbines throughout the tube.
   • And the kids love being in the back with the air rushing around.
   • She gasped, the air rushing out of her mouth, and she stopped running.
   • He heard the hiss of a door shutting and air rushing into the room.
   • In fact, the rear end of the car is over the broken hydrant so rushing water is bubbling up under the car and out into the street.
   • Eric thought he could make out some noise coming from the man, but the air rushing across his ears dampened it.
   • What was he thinking as the air rushed up and stole his last breath?
   • Nervously, she entered the store, the cool air of the air-conditioner rushing over her.
   • Now if you have mastered this as well as me the air should rush in making a pretty rubbish hand-clap sound.
   • You have to open your mouth so as to be able to breath, what with the air rushing past, which invariably causes my eyes to stream.
   • I persisted and when I finally made it through I could feel air rushing in.

   Synonyms

   flow, pour, gush, surge, stream, cascade, shoot, swirl, run, course
2. 1.2 Act with great haste.
   as soon as the campaign started they rushed into action

   with infinitive shoppers rushed to buy computers

   Example sentencesExamples

   • I rushed into it impulsively, not really knowing the sort of responsibility involved with such a task.
   • It was not the mutuals that rushed into buying chains of estate agents and had to sell out in a hurry.
   • Makers of hand-held gadgets are rushing to exploit online entertainment.
   • They are certainly better informed than their elders who have rushed into judgment.
   • So, we rushed into the war for no good reason and things are going to hell in a handbasket.
   • Most of the mistakes I made were because I rushed into them.
   • College students who rushed to see the film in the initial days were a bit dissatisfied to watch their favourite hero in a serious role.
   • He had rushed into his uniform when he saw the towers collapse.
   • They had the part about attracting attention right, but then too many rushed into the creative process carelessly.
   • Zulu warriors rushed into battle after ingesting a complex concoction of roots and fungus that dulled pain and amplified aggression.
   • At Homebase in Aberdeen's Bridge of Don industrial estate, there were chaotic scenes as shoppers rushed to buy gardening equipment.
   • Over 2,000 students rushed to enter the department's business plan competition.
   • Increasing quantities of domestic investment has rushed into the field, especially during the last few years, as car sales have skyrocketed.
   • We are in funny waters at the moment for marketing stock and that is another reason why we haven't rushed into reopening the auction.

   Synonyms

   send rapidly, pass rapidly, hurry, push, hasten, speed, hustle, press, steamroller, force
3. 1.3with object Force (someone) to act hastily.
   I don't want to rush you into something

   Example sentencesExamples

   • She does this by talking quietly and calmly, never rushing a client and by using a gentle yet assured touch.
   • The teacher came along and rushed me into choosing colours.
   • My friends were rushing me through things to get to the good part, I imagine.
   • The food was good and the decor nice, but I was rushed through it.
   • She kept on rushing her mother to hurry up her work.
   • Don't rush me or try to do anything to speed up the process.
   • Everybody appears to be fairly laid back and nobody seems to be rushing you.
   • He realized now that he had been in a hurry to rush her into their relationship, and Eric had been the one for her to slow it down, to treat her as he never had.
   • O'Brien emphasised, however, they would not be rushing him.
   • I avoid rushing him, and I keep munching on my sandwich.
4. 1.4with object and adverbial of direction Take (someone) somewhere with great haste.
   an ambulance was waiting to rush him to the hospital

   Example sentencesExamples

   • But the day he became very sick, they rushed him to Rapid City, South Dakota.
   • So when she touched down in Dublin airport yesterday she was rushed to the nearby Great Southern Hotel to be presented with a welcome home cake and her two tots.
   • He was rushed to hospital in Aberdeen suffering from 60% burns on his chest and legs after the incident in the city on Wednesday.
   • With major injuries to his chest and legs, Michael was rushed to a waiting medical helicopter.
   • Her father began to rush the family towards the front door.
   • Help, reassurance and advice is just a phone-call away - and if you really do need to be rushing your child to hospital, the nurses will tell you so.
   • Her hair was tightly put up and she was again rushed out into the halls, towards the Great Hall and into the royal ball room.
   • The woman was rushed in and gave birth, but there have been dozens of cases of women delivering at checkpoints or en route to hospitals.
   • When the fire started, the inmates were rushed outside the prison while prison officials attempted to stop the fire.
   • Terrified, they rushed their kids to the pier and tried to get them onto a ferry to take them across the river to the boatyard and, perhaps, safety.
   • He took my hand and rushed me down the hall towards the elevators and then through the lobby.
   • Sheathing his sword, he takes them by the arms and rushes them back down towards the shoreline.
   • But then, about one hour forty-five minutes ago, one of their little girls was rushed back to operating room.
   • Tracy rushed her sister into the toilets to cool down the affected areas while other family members took advice from an off-duty fireman who was also dining at the restaurant.
   • She was rushed to Dublin where she had an operation.
   • Hours later, doctors rushed an expectant mother to a table, gave her a local anesthetic, and cut open her abdomen in a bid to save her baby.
   • They were rushed straight to intensive care for observation after the caesarean delivery.
   • She became another victim of the evil and false conviction that it is the one who is to blame for the accident who rushes the victim to hospital.
   • They praised the neurosurgeon and his staff at Hull Royal Infirmary who saved their son's life after he was rushed there shortly after the attack.
   • I was violently rushed towards the entrance/exit of the marketplace.
5. 1.5with two objects Deliver (something) quickly to (someone)
   we'll rush you a copy at once

   Example sentencesExamples

   • A stretcher with a life support system was rushed towards the emergency room.
   • An ambulance driver charged with speeding as he rushed a liver to a transplant patient has called for a change in the law so it cannot happen again.
   • According to state government officials, attempts are being made to rush supplies to Mahad using country boats.
   • One thing that supporters can do to help is to rush letters to the Ontario Attorney General demanding that the charges be dropped in this matter.
   • The General Manager attempted to retrieve it and rush it to the hospital.
   • Authorities were combing areas along the path of migratory birds for dead birds, and rushing any samples to laboratories for testing.
   • When that time was up, the students would rush their drawings from the studio to the Ecole in a cart called a charette.
   • Some of our top models appear so alarmingly under-nourished, I always feel like rushing some food and vitamin pills to them.
   • I rushed it to the nearest charger and did all I could but it was too late, it was gone.
   • If this makes sense to you, rush your resume to the export-import bank today.
   • Helicopters in India were rushing medicine to stricken areas, while warships in Thailand steamed to island resorts to rescue survivors.
6. 1.6rush something out Produce and distribute something, or put something up for sale, very quickly.
   a rewritten textbook was rushed out last autumn

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The classic example is in computing, where it seems that no sooner have users got used to particular products than upgrades are rushed out.
   • These figures were rushed out yesterday by the Tourist Board in an obvious desire to prove it's not always like this in these parts.
   • So many books are rushed out when for a book to be excellent, there really needs to be some time involved to really get to the heart of the subject, and to go back through a career.
   • Also, McConnell's eagerness to rush the announcement out meant that there was still no detail at the end of last week as to when it would actually kick in.
   • Labour faced public outrage last night after revelations that a top Government adviser urged colleagues to ‘bury’ bad news by rushing it out in the wake of the US terror strikes.
   • Bootleg entrepreneurs soon renamed the film and rushed it out all over the former Soviet Union.
   • The original filing came late Tuesday, while the correction was rushed out well before market opening Wednesday.
   • You cannot help feeling that the game was rushed out to cash in on the 60th anniversary of the Allied invasion.
   • ‘It's more important,’ he says, ‘to get this right than to rush it out, meeting the deadline with a product that ain't right.’
   • While some critics say it took too long for the president to come to this bottom line, others say that he seemed to rush the proposal out with a sinister motive.
   • I just hope that as they've rushed the second film out on DVD so people can watch it before the third one that we'll only have to wait a few months for the third one and not best part of a year.
   • Now, there is a tendency sometimes for the networks, especially the cable networks, to rush this stuff out there without taking a critical look at it.
   • I was trying to rush it out for Expo, but since failing to do so I've gone back and reappraised it as… not great.
   • I think we can forgive Nokia for not rushing this model out.
   • Unfortunately featurewise it isn't very impressive and some things actually strike us as if the product is rushed out, instead of fully developed.
   • We felt it was better to do it correctly than rush it out.
   • Microsoft rushed a fix out, but not as fast as the hackers jumped on the exploit.
   • Scores of imitation Lee films were rushed out, with titles like Re-Enter the Dragon, Enter Another Dragon, Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger, or even Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave.
   • Collins and co. were willing to give it the ol’ art school try, meaning rushing a disappointing album out so the fans didn't lose interest.
   • We know the authors of the study are a long way from the ideal of scientific impartiality because of the way they rushed it out to appear before the US election.
7. 1.7with object Deal with (something) hurriedly.
   panic measures were rushed through Congress

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The relevant clauses in the Finance Bill were quietly dropped when the legislation was rushed through Parliament before the House broke up ahead of the election.
   • The control orders were rushed through parliament earlier this month in the face of widespread opposition.
   • The reform law was rushed through parliament with only very limited discussion.
   • I've never read the book, but I did get the sense from the movie that it was skimming through the book, rushing the story.
   • The 1974 act was rushed through the houses of Parliament with a mere seventeen hours of debate.
   • There's a fast-food feel to it, as if it was rushed through the Hollywood grinder without much attention to scripting or comic timing.
   • A new survey suggested that a third of men risked indigestion by rushing their meals and a behavioural psychologist warned the nation to slow down and enjoy our food.
   • I know I'm rushing the season a bit, but what gardener can help it?
   • One gets the feeling that the work is rushed without the artist truly attempting to resolve the basic technical requirements posed in art.
   • We have made a deliberate attempt not to rush it.
   • Even questions about those cancelled elections can be characterized as attempts to rush the process so we can get the hell out of there.
   • They believe that this process was rushed - that there was no attempt to wait and see.
   • I know my Auntie in particular was worried that they were rushing it, maybe because she and Ginger's dad split up last year after a whole bunch of difficulties.
   • Everyone is rushing things now, like on the radio, where they're always in a hurry for the next thing.
   • It's another example of hastily-drafted legal definitions being rushed through Parliament and resulting in bad law.
   • The measure was rushed through Parliament after the violence at the European Championships in June.
   • How much better it would have been if the majority of the thousands of submitters had been able to have time to look at those changes before the bill was rushed through the House into law.
   • Remember, people want to enjoy your speech so even if you're stumbling, rushing the lines and looking at your feet, the audience will adjust to your rhythm.
   • It's just such a mess because nobody's bothered to work out which lines would best suit each artist and somebody's tried too hard to be different at the mixing desk, while rushing it at the same time.
   • Students mentioned feeling rushed, and that time in between classes and at lunch could often be stressful.

   Synonyms

   hasty, fast, speedy, quick, swift, rapid, hurried, brisk, expeditious

2with object Dash toward (someone or something) in an attempt to attack or capture.

1. 2.1American Football Advance rapidly toward (an offensive player, especially the quarterback).
   Example sentencesExamples

   • On running downs, he plays at end or outside linebacker; on passing downs, he rushes the quarterback from all over the line.
   • His coverage skills are solid, and he knows how to rush the quarterback.
   • Everybody can't rush the quarterback, no matter how fast you are or how many spin moves you have.
   • Griffith also is capable of coveting tight ends, chasing down running backs and wide receivers or rushing the quarterback.
   • Dixon is a savvy player with a knack for rushing the quarterback.
2. 2.2no object Gain a specified amount of yardage or score a touchdown or conversion by running from scrimmage with the ball.
   he rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries

   Example sentencesExamples

   • In fact, he was at the top of his game, rushing for 1,341 yards and eight touchdowns.
   • He is one of five players in NFL history to have passed for over 20,000 yards and rushed for over 3,000.
   • The Bengals rushed for 240 yards on 57 carries and held the ball for 41 minutes.
   • Each time he was given the ball 25 times last season, he rushed for 100 yards or more.
   • In his five starts against Carolina in his career, Vick has rushed 40 times for 355 yards.

3US with object Entertain (a new student) in order to assess their suitability for membership in a college fraternity or sorority.

1. 3.1 (of a student) visit (a college fraternity or sorority) with a view toward joining it.
   he rushed three fraternities

   Example sentencesExamples

   • He sees a potential avenue to popularity in rushing a fraternity on campus.

1A sudden quick movement toward something, typically by a number of people.

1. 1.1 A sudden flow or flood.
   she felt a rush of cold air

   Example sentencesExamples

   • A sudden rush of wind caused him to pause and look up, hands trembling.
   • A rush of chilly air flooded in and engulfed him in a swirl of wind.
   • We walked out of the front doors of the school to be greeted with a cold rush of wind.
   • He blinked, unable to stop the sudden rush of tears that flooded his eyes.
   • A group of football players, resting after a practice match, say they felt a strong rush of wind as it flew past.
   • A rush of cool air flows over him, giving him goosebumps.
   • And suddenly she felt a cold rush of air as the redhead actually whizzed right by her, his elbow pad actually grazing her arm as he did so.
   • The warm humid air collided with a rush of cold air causing the thunder to slither through.
   • Another rush of fragrance flooded my nostrils.
   • The basement was nearly ripped in two as the rush of cold air from outside flooded the entire room.
   • The sudden rush of cold air gave her goose bumps, but she ignored them and took his bandaged hand in hers.
   • He slowly backed out of the stream before the rush became too strong to resist.
   • A sudden rush of heat flowed over her then she fell over the edge to paradise.
   • And its serene flow added a cool rush to the surrounding area.
   • A sudden rush of wind swept into the cavern and with a great roar, a monstrous winged dragon descended into the great cavern.
   • The building sent a rush of cold air through their hair as they walked into the air conditioning.
   • Kim looked at him in surprise, not expecting the sudden rush of cold air that washed over her without him there.
   • We all turned in the direction the creatures were fleeing from as a sudden rush of air overtook us.
   • A strong rush of wind suddenly blew through her window and almost knocked her back.
   • The rush of funds threatens China's ability to absorb it.

   Synonyms

   gust, draught, flurry
2. 1.2 A flurry of hasty activity.
   the pre-Christmas rush

   as modifier a rush job

   Example sentencesExamples

   • I can't help but feel that this is something of a rush job.
   • This is a major rush job and needs some serious editing.
   • Richard calls the rush to privatisation and outsourcing ‘a national scandal that the media have somehow missed’.
   • The result is an outcry from U.S. and European manufacturers and a rush to reimpose quotas on Chinese textiles and clothing within months.
   • The financial system actively encourages the rush to monopolies.
   • Unfortunately, I have to put it aside for a few days since I have to finish something else, which I did pack for my trip, but forgot to take it with me when I left in a rush on Thursday morning.
   • Alas, the rush to satisfy booming demand has led to fierce price competition.
   • He likes to visit on a Wednesday, as there always seems to be a rush on Thursdays, what with it being pension day and everything.
   • At several commercial and university laboratories there is a rush on to build the first quantum computer that is capable of accessing our parallel universes.
   • During the afternoon voting is normally slow, as there is a rush on the way to work, and another steady stream as the pensioners and stay-at-home Mums go between nine and eleven.
   • She closed with a furious rush on the turn, powered into the stretch on the outside, and roared past three rivals with a tenacious rally down the center of the lane.
   • The warning from the Department of Homeland Security sparked a frenzied rush on supermarkets and hardware stores.
   • Right, OK, but you do agree that there wasn't a rush on the part of the Labor Party to oppose that.
   • The 100 or so residents are now expecting a rush of tourists, all eager to see what Britain's bleakest spot has to offer.
   • Grocers around Bundaberg were experiencing a rush yesterday as shoppers on storm-alert hustled to stock up on food.
   • They came in a rush when all the activity ceased.
   • In my rush on Monday to get to work, I actually managed to kick a pigeon.
   • The rush to solve the demand for bilingual teachers often complicates the issues of language, language policy, and power.
   • With the Christmas rush on, we sure needed the extra help.
   • But the contribution sparked an unprecedented rush of activity in Bulgaria's foreign policy circles.

   Synonyms

   hustle and bustle, commotion, bustle, hubbub, hurly-burly, flurry of activity, stir

   hurry, haste, dispatch
3. 1.3 A sudden strong demand for a commodity.
   there's been a rush onthe Tribune because of the murder

   Example sentencesExamples

   • People seeking to buy used cars might be better off waiting a few weeks until the rush on new 2001 registration cars slows down, he said.
   • If we were selling that, we'd have a rush on.
   • What is relevant here is that it is creating a rush on scarce global resources, particularly oil and gas, between China and the US.
   • It's most likely because I've been buying it from there regularly and they think there's a rush on it so they can afford to take advantage of the situation by increasing the price.
   • It's easy to forget that blogging is not a mainstream activity yet, regardless of the rush on political blogs that is going on at the moment.
   • In recent years there has been much talk of a rush on Scottish novels by hungry producers bearing chequebooks, though little has materialised as yet.
   • Throughout Thursday, the rush on Celtic merchandise in the big shopping centres of Dublin was frenzied.
   • Yes, there is a rush on these things but dealers are also reluctant to use them as replacements because they want to sell them.
   • Last week's weather reports also resulted in a rush on soup stocks, a stampede on outdoor clothing and a rampage on salt.
   • The rush on commodities stretched into the gold market, where prices touched 18-year highs.
   • Ms Smith was also responsible for a rush on a type of lemon zester after saying how useful it was.
   • Bookstores in three cities - Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi - agreed that they had never seen such a mad rush for one book.
   • There has probably never been such a rush for lard since wartime rationing or the austerity years of the 1950s.
   • Just a traffic-building suggestion from the pros, people, but note that a serious rush on canned food and heavy weaponry would maybe help the economy.
   • I suspect that tomorrow there will be a rush on it, as people flock to the shops to try this new alcoholic drink.
   • Namibia will also not be affected by the rush on maize imports, as it is not land-locked like some other countries in the region.
   • Older people make up the majority of the rush on the medicines.
   • The entrepreneurial scramble to discover IP so as to exploit it has led to a rush on all manner of intellectual material.
   • Supermarkets are also preparing for a rush on burgers and barbecues as people plan for a weekend sizzling in the garden.

   Synonyms

   demand, clamour, call, request, run, run on
4. 1.4 A sudden intense feeling.
   Mark felt a rush of anger

   Example sentencesExamples

   • She felt a rush of emotions with the anticipation of finding out what was in store for her.
   • I got the letter today and just felt a rush of relief.
   • Even short, 20 second tracks give me a rush of happiness, because I can see scenes of the movie again in my mind.
   • We experience the heady rush of freedom and go a bit wild.
   • We are supposed to get a scalp-tingling rush of euphoria as the West Germans win big on the footballing field of dreams.
   • But it is the sight of her that induces a rush of horror.
   • The thought of his blind date gives him a rush of anticipatory nervous excitement.
   • Laura sighed and all of a sudden, a rush of feelings came over her.
   • Yes there was a rush of excitement under the realisation that she wasn't going to leave and that the rest of the housemates would be backing her up.
   • In a rush of enthusiasm today I put it back in the front bedroom.
   • McLauchlan says he gets a rush of pleasure when he walks into the drawing room and the dining room, both of grand proportions.
   • There are the thrill-seekers, who find they get a rush of euphoria by waiting to do things at the last minute.
   • A rush of fear and anxiety also rushed into my system.
   • As soon as I opened up my mind, I was knocked flat by a rush of emotions, mostly fear and anger.
   • Perhaps because the whole site was clearly on its way to becoming banal, ordinary, I felt a rush of sadness for the victims.
   • She nodded as a rush of embarrassment and frustration marked her face.
   • Users experience a rush of euphoria with heightened perception of colour and sound.
   • I had a rush of anger and frustration at not being able to vent my feelings in an acceptable manner.
   • There is an undeniable rush of excitement experienced by those who first are able to perceive a phenomenon cybernetically.
   • When he remembered them, a rush of happiness and fear swept over him.
5. 1.5informal A sudden thrill or feeling of euphoria such as experienced after taking certain drugs.
   users experience a rush

   Example sentencesExamples

   • His promises of adventure and excitement had so far been one-sided since only he was the one experiencing the rush.
   • After a day spent flying a bizarre New Zealand contraption that crosses a bungee rope with a microlight, Clarkson asks a qualified doctor about the rush he experienced.
   • Many people practice this type of exhibitionism to get a thrill or a rush from it.
   • To read him is to experience the rush or vertigo that inevitably accompanies any trip out on a limb.
   • It's a rush, a thrill, a challenge to do something that most people can't even conceive of and couldn't do even if they wanted to.
   • Driving home with Jonas, she felt a rush she hadn't experienced since before her husband and son had died.
   • The 2003 football season may have ended, but the NFL off season gives a rush to any hard-core fan.
   • Painfully loud, deathly quiet, gospel as not-gospel with gospel singers, they were a rush and a thrill, sonic joys for sonic joys and sonic depths for sonic depths.
   • It's essentially a drug habit: the rush is over well before the first track is finished.
   • Climbing is fun, intense, painful, scary, euphoric, and a rush all at the same time, and to put it very simply, that is why I climb.
   • Yes, a perfectly realised single can be as thrilling as a cocaine rush.
   • You know how some people get a rush out of doing drugs?
   • The sight of a computer keyboard or a blank page gave me the same rush that drug addicts get from seeing their freebasing paraphernalia.
   • It had been years since the last time he fought hand to hand and the rush he was now experiencing made him wonder why he had waited so long.
   • This was big money, bigger than he had ever gambled with before and the rush was thrilling.

   Synonyms

   surge, flow, gush, stream, flood, spurt

2American Football
A rapid advance by a defensive player or players, especially toward the quarterback.

1. 2.1 An act of running from scrimmage with the ball to gain yardage.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • The Ravens are gaining 5.9 yards per rush, by far the pace-setting average in the league.
   • He was an ultraproductive receiver at Brown but doesn't have a catch or rush in the NFL.
   • The Saints have tried to upgrade a defense that ranked 27th in the NFL last season against the rush.
   • He might lack the pure quickness off the snap, but plays with more technique in his pass rush and both recognizes and reacts in pass coverage better.
   • He averaged 4.6 yards per rush and gained 627 yards while splitting time with Michael Pittman.

3rushesThe first prints made of a movie after a period of shooting.

4The process whereby college fraternities or sororities entertain new students in order to assess suitability for membership.

1An erect, tufted marsh or waterside plant resembling a sedge or grass, with inconspicuous greenish or brownish flowers. Widely distributed in temperate areas, some kinds are used for matting, chair seats, and baskets.

Genus Juncus, family Juncaceae

1. 1.1 Used in names of plants of wet habitats that are similar to rushes, e.g. flowering rush.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • On the course students learned how to make papers from plant fibres such as bog rushes, straw, cotton and banana leaf known as abacca.
2. 1.2 A stem of a rush plant.
3. 1.3 Rushes used as a material.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Learn how to make a basket from straw with Ted Kelly; how to make items from rush with Patricia O Flaherty and how to make a felt piece from wool with Susie Sullivan.
   • Stone and, later, bronze vessels became reservoirs of animal and vegetable oils wicked with rush and hemp.

2archaic A thing of no value (used for emphasis)