15 Behaviors That Signal Your Partner Is Pushing You Away

15 Signs Someone Is Pushing You Away

A man in a navy t-shirt and jeans stands with his hands in his pockets, looking to the right. A woman in a light pink dress and sunglasses stands in the background. They are in an open grassy field under a clear blue sky.

When you care about someone, you want to get close to them, right?

But what if they push you away?

Maybe your partner was kind and affectionate before, but something changed, and they grew cold and distant.

Perhaps it’s not that obvious, but you can sense that something’s not right. It feels like they are pushing you away, and you are scared that this might mean the end of your relationship.

Keep reading to learn about the signs someone is pushing you away.

1. They don’t want to spend time with you.

A woman with long blonde hair sits alone in a modern restaurant, resting her chin on her hands and looking thoughtfully into the distance. The restaurant features green plants and wooden tables with green glasses, creating a serene atmosphere.

You used to hang out as often as possible, but lately, they just say they’re too busy to meet with you. It seems like they always have an excuse not to spend time with you, and there’s always something else they’d rather do.

This behavior probably isn’t how things used to be, so you can clearly see that something has changed in your relationship. Your partner pushes you away by not wanting to spend as much time with you as they used to.

But is it true that they don’t want to spend time with you? Don’t assume this just because they had something else to do when you wanted to see them. However, you should be worried if they clearly don’t have a valid excuse and it’s evident that they don’t enjoy spending time with you anymore. Your partner might be slowly distancing themselves from the relationship until they’re ready to leave it.

2. They aren’t present when they’re with you.

A woman with curly hair and a pensive expression rests her head on her hand, looking into the distance. In the blurred background, a man sits with his arms crossed, facing away. The scene suggests a moment of contemplation or emotional tension.

Maybe your partner does spend time with you, but it’s like they’re not really there when they do. They are not present in the conversation or even in spirit. It feels like they would rather be somewhere else, and they’re not trying to hide it.

Something else seems to be on their mind, and they zone out when you try to talk to them. They’re not engaged in the conversation. Instead of talking to you, they get easily distracted and even search for something else to do. You don’t feel like you’ve got their attention.

It feels like they only show up so that you wouldn’t be upset at them for bailing on you. They don’t stick around for long and even find an excuse to end the date early. Behaviors like this are some of the clear signs that your partner is pushing you away.

However, maybe something else is going on in their life that’s causing them to behave this way. Look for more signs to know for sure.

3. They are distracted by other things when they’re with you.

A woman in a pink blouse tenderly kisses a man in a blue shirt on the cheek while he looks at his phone. Both are sitting close together on a couch in a cozy living room with dark cushions and light-colored curtains in the background.

They spend most of their time on their phone when they should be enjoying their time with you. Their phone is not the only distraction because they’re essentially searching for something to do instead of talking to you.

This is a bad sign that shows that your partner is pushing you away. When you’re together, they should be focused on you and give you their full attention. If they don’t feel like doing that anymore, their feelings for you may have changed.

On the other hand, maybe there’s something that they’re not telling you. You will have to confront them to find out. Perhaps they’re not as interested in you as they were, but maybe something else is causing them to be distracted. For instance, perhaps the reason they’re constantly on the phone has something to do with a job opportunity, and they’re distracted because of work.

4. They barely talk to you.

A man and a woman sit on a couch with their arms crossed, facing forward. Both are wearing light blue shirts and jeans. The background appears to be a softly lit living room, but their facial expressions are not visible as the image is cropped at their shoulders.

Your relationship is in trouble if your partner barely talks to you. Maybe you used to talk for hours, but now, they just give you “yes” and “no” answers and short sentences. They don’t seem interested in sharing details of their day with you, let alone their plans for the future.

You don’t have meaningful conversations or consult each other before making decisions. Instead, your partner says the bare minimum that needs to be said and leaves you guessing what’s on their mind.

They don’t reach out to you by sending a text as they used to, either. Instead, you only text each other when you text first. They give you short responses and try to end the conversation as soon as possible.

This one-sided communication is not going to help your relationship. They are pushing you away, and your relationship is in trouble even if they’re not willing to admit it.

5. They avoid you and spend more alone time.

A woman with short, light-colored hair stands on a wooden balcony overlooking a resort with white buildings, palm trees, and distant mountains. She wears a black and white striped dress and touches her face with one hand, looking thoughtful.

You get the feeling that your partner’s avoiding you, and you might be right.

It’s not just that they don’t want to spend time with you. They avoid places where they could run into you. They always have an excuse not to see you, and they suddenly need more alone time.

It can be okay for a person to want more alone time in a relationship. However, when it leaves them with no time for you, something’s not right.

Maybe they even avoid your friends that they know of and refuse to go to the parties where they’ll know your friends will be. While some of these examples are extreme, these behaviors can indicate that your partner’s trying to escape breaking up with you in person.

There are other possible explanations. However, if your partner goes to these extremes to avoid you, there’s a good chance that they want out.

6. They don’t show you affection.

A young man with his eyes closed puckers his lips, attempting to kiss a young woman. The woman, with long brown hair and wearing a blue sleeveless top, turns her head away, avoiding the kiss. The background is blurred, with a clear sky and distant landscape.

Even though they couldn’t get their hands off you before, now it feels like they avoid touching you. There’s no more physical affection in your relationship. They don’t hug you, they don’t kiss you, and you have stopped being physically intimate. They may even literally push you away when you try to touch them.

Maybe they don’t show you any kind of affection anymore, not just in the physical sense. They don’t use endearing nicknames or tell you they love you. Overall, they seem like they no longer care about you.

Things probably weren’t this way from the start, so it’s clear that something has changed in your relationship. Perhaps it’s your partner’s feelings for you, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over. If it suddenly feels like your partner doesn’t care for you, maybe there’s a reason. For instance, maybe you did something to hurt them or they are avoiding opening up to you.

7. They don’t show interest in what you talk about.

A man and woman sitting at a table with cups and cookies in front of them. The man is talking animatedly with hand gestures while the woman rests her head on her hand, appearing uninterested or bored. The setting is a kitchen with appliances and fruit in the background.

When someone is romantically interested in you, they’ll be interested in every word you say. Even mundane things can seem exciting when a person you like is talking about them.

However, your partner is no longer interested in your days, hobbies, plans, or anything else. They don’t seem interested in hearing about what you have to say, whatever it is.

This could be a sign that they’re no longer interested in you. However, maybe they’ve gotten bored, or there’s another reason they’re pushing you away. They used to actively listen to you when you talked, but now it’s like they’re checked out.

You’ll have to work on this serious problem if you want your relationship to be healthy. However, maybe the problem isn’t so big. People can act uninterested in what someone is talking about when they’re preoccupied with their own thoughts.

8. They frequently start a fight.

A woman with a serious expression and crossed arms sits on a couch, turned away from a man who appears frustrated or upset. Both are dressed in casual clothing and are sitting in a living room with a light-colored, patterned wallpaper.

Do you fight on a regular basis? Do you even know what you’re fighting about?

Perhaps your partner starts a fight with you for no apparent reason. It feels like it’s the same fight over and over again, and you don’t know what’s causing it. It’s like they’re waiting for you to make the wrong move so that they can yell at you.

If your partner is constantly starting fights, they might not be happy in the relationship.

The reason why they’re unhappy might not have anything to do with what they talk about during the fight. They’re trying to push you away with constant fighting. It seems like they’re very frustrated about something, and they take it out on you even though you had nothing to do with it.

Your arguments don’t help calm things down, and half the time you don’t even know why they’re angry at you.

9. They don’t tell you about what’s going on with them.

A woman in blue pajamas sits by a window, looking out at a snowy landscape. She appears deep in thought, with her hands resting on her knees and her head slightly tilted to the side. The cold winter scene outside contrasts with the cozy interior.

Your partner is supposed to share personal things about their life with you, and they probably did before. Now, it’s like you’re forced to read their mind to find out what’s going on with them.

They don’t let you in on what’s up with them, and they no longer share their plans with you. You have no clue about how they spend their days or what they plan to do this weekend. All you can do is wait for them to remember that they’re with you and see you, but are they really with you?

This behavior isn’t a good sign. Your partner should be able to open up to you, and it could even be argued that you should be the first to know when something changes in their life.

10. They are cold and distant.

A woman with a concerned expression leans towards a man with folded arms, both seated on a park bench. She appears to be talking or comforting him, while he looks away thoughtfully. Green trees and foliage are visible in the blurred background.

Your partner seems cold and like they’re distant, both physically and emotionally. They seem detached and unfriendly. While we can all have bad days, this is not a type of behavior that you should be continuously experiencing in a relationship.

Your partner shuts down when you try to talk to them about it, or anything else for that matter. You feel unloved, and they are probably aware of it, yet they keep giving you the cold shoulder.

It feels like they already broke up with you in their mind. They don’t open up to you, and you don’t know how to get to them and make them see that they’re dooming your relationship.

11. They cancel on you.

woman alone in her home with her head on the table

You planned many romantic dates, but they canceled on you each time.

It’s like they don’t want to go on dates with you anymore, and they always have better things to do. They cancel at the last minute and leave you hanging. They have to see their friends, play sports, or even do something they don’t want to tell you about.

You’re left wondering why they agree to a date when they don’t plan to show up.

Maybe they don’t know what they want, but you shouldn’t tolerate such behavior in a relationship.

12. They don’t respond to your calls and texts or leave you waiting.

A woman in a blue coat and white knit hat looks at her phone with a puzzled expression, standing outside under a canopy of blurred lights. She holds the back of her head with one hand and puffs her cheeks out in frustration or confusion.

You’d expect someone who’s in love with you to respond within a reasonable timeframe when you text or call them, and maybe they did before. But now, they just ignore your calls and texts or leave you waiting for hours (or days!) until they text or call back.

You are left wondering what’s going on with them, and maybe they don’t even tell you that. This shows that you’re not a priority to them, and it’s also a sign of disrespect.

Perhaps they also respond with short sentences once they finally do respond. If they even respond at all. They are pushing you away or trying to get out of the relationship.

13. They blame you for everything.

A man with dark hair is pointing his finger and angrily shouting at a woman with brown hair, who appears shocked and upset. They are in what looks like a kitchen or dining area, with a blurred oven in the background.

According to your partner, you’re the one to blame for everything wrong that happens in their life. It seems like everything you do is a mistake in their eyes, and it makes you feel terrible.

You should know that you can’t be the one to blame for everything. Your partner is probably just trying to find a reason to leave the relationship. They push you away by blaming everything on you even though you probably did nothing wrong.

Even if you did do something wrong, they probably exaggerated it and made a big fuss about it even though that wasn’t necessary.

14. They have time for other people but not for you.

Three women stand outdoors in front of a forest, smiling and enjoying drinks in plastic cups. They are wearing summer dresses and wide-brimmed hats. Sunlight filters through the trees, creating a warm and bright atmosphere.

Everything else comes first in their life, including everyone else but you. They put their friends and even casual acquaintances ahead of you on their list of priorities. They ditch you to spend time with other people in their life. And though it can’t be said for certain, there is the possibility that they might be romantically interested in someone else.

Everything is more important to them than you are, whether it’s their hobbies or just going out and drinking with friends. You should never be made to feel like you’re the second-best option, and you should feel valued and respected. Don’t tolerate your partner putting everything else ahead of you.

15. They ask you for a break.

A woman in a white coat stands in the foreground, covering her face with her hands. In the background, a man in a tan coat stands with his hands in his pockets. They are in front of a large, arched brick wall. The scene appears to be emotionally charged.

In the end, your partner could openly ask you for a break. They could ask for some space to think, room to clear their mind, or time to figure things out.

Often, these things mean the same thing: “I want to break up.”

Of course, there’s a possibility that your partner really needs a small break from the world. But, if they need a break from you, it’s a very bad sign. If they ask for a break from the relationship, they probably want to break up with you.