This is the 15544th most frequent German word.
vorschieben
To push forward, advance, or use as a pretext.
Here, 'vorschieben' is used to mean 'to put forward' (as an excuse), often implying a reason given may not be entirely truthful.
Er schob eine Ausrede vor, um nicht an der Besprechung teilzunehmen.
He put forward an excuse to not attend the meeting.
In this context, 'vorschieben' describes the physical act of pushing something to the front.
Die Kinder schieben den Ball nach vorne.
The children push the ball forward.
Here, 'vorschieben' is used literally to mean pushing an object forward, assisted by a tool or device.