# Bring Forward Meaning: Bring Forward vs Push Back

> To move something to an earlier date or time.

- **Term:** bring forward
- **Part of speech:** phrasal verb
- **Pronunciation:** /brɪŋ ˈfɔːrwərd/
- **English level (CEFR):** B1–B2
- **Register:** Neutral, Both
- **Region:** US and UK
- **Topic:** [Agile and project terms](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/agile-project-management-terms.md)
- **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/bring-forward
- **Last updated:** 2026-10-27

## Meaning

To move something to an earlier date or time.

In software engineering, "bring forward" appears frequently during sprint planning, incident response, and team coordination. Engineers use it when a deadline needs to happen sooner, such as pushing a release date earlier due to a critical bug fix, or moving a code review before the original schedule. You'll hear it in standups when discussing whether a feature should ship this sprint instead of next, or during incident postmortems when scheduling the remediation tasks. For example, a tech lead might say, "We need to bring forward the database migration to next Tuesday because the current system is hitting performance limits." A common mistake learners make is confusing direction—remember that bringing something forward means moving it closer to today, not further away. The opposite action, "push back," extends the timeline. Understanding this distinction helps you follow timeline changes in conversations about releases, reviews, and deployments without asking for clarification.

## When you hear it

Used in meetings, Slack, calendar invites, and planning sessions. Works in formal emails too.

## Examples

- **Standup:** "I'd like to bring forward the API review — can we do it today instead of Thursday?"
- **Slack message:** "Hey team, can we bring forward tomorrow's sync to 10am? I have a conflict at 2pm."
- **GitHub PR:** "Bringing forward the merge to main so QA can start testing earlier."
- **Jira ticket:** "Priority changed — bringing forward this ticket to the current sprint."
- **Retrospective:** "We should bring forward code reviews in the process so bugs are caught earlier."
- **Sprint planning:** "Let's bring forward the deadline for the project to allow more time for testing."
- **Pair programming:** "Can we bring forward our pairing session? I'm free now if you are."

## What native speakers say

- "Can we bring forward the demo by a day?"
- "The client wants to bring forward the launch date."
- "Let's bring forward our sync to Monday instead."
- "We brought forward the code freeze to give QA more time."

## Common mistakes

- ✗ "Let's bring forward the meeting to next week." → ✓ "Let's push back the meeting to next week." ('Bring forward' means earlier, not later. Use 'push back' for later dates.)
- ✗ "I will bring forward you the update." → ✓ "I will bring forward the update." (This phrasal verb doesn't take an indirect object between the words.)
- ✗ "We need to bring it forward for two days." → ✓ "We need to bring it forward by two days." (Use 'by' (not 'for') when specifying how much earlier.)

## Word forms

| Part of speech | Word | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| base form | bring forward | Let's bring forward the meeting. |
| past tense | brought forward | We brought forward the deadline. |
| present continuous | bringing forward | We're bringing forward the release. |
| past participle | brought forward | The demo has been brought forward. |


## Collocations

- **bring forward a meeting**: Most common use — reschedule to earlier
- **bring forward the deadline**: Make the deadline sooner
- **bring forward the launch**: Release earlier than planned
- **bring forward by [time]**: Specify how much earlier (by two days, by a week)
- **bring forward to [date]**: Specify the new earlier date

## Synonyms

- **move up**: Very common in US English, same meaning
- **advance**: More formal, often used in written communication
- **reschedule earlier**: More explicit but longer
- **expedite**: Focuses on speed, often for processes not just dates

## Opposites

- push back
- postpone
- delay
- move back
- defer

## Practice

This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/bring-forward

## FAQ

### Does 'bring forward' mean earlier or later?

Bring forward always means earlier. If someone brings forward a meeting from Friday to Wednesday, the meeting is now sooner. To move something later, use 'push back' instead.

### What's the difference between 'bring forward' and 'move up'?

They mean the same thing. 'Move up' is more common in American English. 'Bring forward' is used in both US and UK English. Both are correct in workplace settings.

### Can I say 'bring forward' in formal emails?

Yes, 'bring forward' works in both casual and formal communication. It's appropriate for Slack messages, meeting invites, and emails to clients or executives.

### How do I use 'bring forward' with specific dates?

Use 'by' for the amount of time: 'bring forward by two days'. Use 'to' for the new date: 'bring forward to Monday'. Example: 'We're bringing forward the launch by a week, to March 15th.'

### Is 'bring forward' separable?

Yes, you can separate it with the object: 'bring the meeting forward' or 'bring forward the meeting'. Both are correct. With pronouns, keep them together: 'bring it forward' (not 'bring forward it').


## Related

- [deadline](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/deadline.md)
- [code freeze](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/code-freeze.md)
- [sprint](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/sprint.md)
- Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md
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