Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
Someone who pushes someone else's buttons: someone who goads, annoys, provokes, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
Synonyms: gadfly, goader, provocateur, provoker
Antonyms: none provided
noun
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).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, mildly, often
Topics: business, manufacturing
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
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.
