push-pull
noun1
An alternation or fluctuation between two opposites; a back-and-forth dispute, a tug of war.
- In Europe, the debate around abortion access has been regalvanised by the pandemic, and last year Poland passed a near total ban, […]. Elsewhere we’ve seen a swing in the opposite direction, […]. The overall effect of this push-pull is an atmosphere of intense instability as we face up to a new phase in the struggle for reproductive justice.2022 April 22, Rachel Pronger, “‘Silence guarantees nothing will change’: film-makers challenge the anti-abortion movement”, in The Guardian:
- The push-pull puts us more or less in the same shoes as protagonist Lucy (Grace Van Patten), who spends years wriggling on his hook before she’s finally able to cut herself free — and it’s that keen understanding of the psychology driving its central relationship that distinguishes Tell Me Lies from any number of dramas about steamy but doomed romances.2022 September 6, Angie Han, “‘Tell Me Lies’ Review: Hulu’s Bad Romance Is Very Good”, in The Hollywood Reporter: