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enfoncer

push in, drive in

verb ahn-fohn-SEH Less Common
Body & Health Movement

Also means

break down (a door)

Usage Note

Enfoncer typically implies driving something into a surface with force, as in enfoncer un clou (to hammer in a nail) or enfoncer une porte (to break down a door). The reflexive s'enfoncer means to sink into something, like s'enfoncer dans la boue (to sink into the mud). The idiom enfoncer une porte ouverte means 'to state the obvious'.

Examples

"Il enfonce le clou avec un marteau."

Natural Translation

He drives the nail in with a hammer.

Literal Translation

He drives in the nail with a hammer.

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