How do you say “Push the envelope” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is die Grenzen des Möglichen verschieben, which literally means “to shift the limits of what is possible”. English speakers use push the envelope to mean to go beyond the usual limits of what is done or considered possible. Best for ambitious work that goes beyond previous limits. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
die Grenzen des Möglichen verschieben
/diː ˈɡʁɛntsn̩ dɛs ˈmøːklɪçn̩ fɛɐ̯ˈʃiːbn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to shift the limits of what is possible”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
German names the limits directly. The phrase suits a new design, a technical achievement or an unusually demanding performance.
“Grenzen ausloten” is slightly different: it means exploring where the limits are. You can explore them without successfully moving beyond them.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
This new design pushes the envelope.
German
Dieser neue Entwurf verschiebt die Grenzen des Möglichen.
English
The team wants to push the envelope with its next project.
German
Das Team will mit seinem nächsten Projekt die Grenzen des Möglichen verschieben.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19