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The grammar assistant I use suggests I should use 'to' instead of 'at' after the verb 'rush'. And I perfectly understand why. But can I use the preposition 'at' to create a sort of ellipsis?

Let's make a couple of examples:

'He rushed back at the table.'

In this case, the person in question doesn't just rush to the table but also sits at it.

Another example:

Mary rushed at her opponent to confront her.

In this case, Mary doesn't just rush to her opponent, but she does so in a more challenging way, as the preposition 'at' in many cases suggests.

So, can I use the preposition 'at' in this way?

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    If you rush at [an opponent], that means you're attacking him. People don't usually attack tables, so your first example is completely non-idiomatic. The second example isn't very good either, because you seem to be trying to combine the sense of rushing to [somewhere] (hurrying to arrive there, referring to "direction of movement" or "intended destination") together with the rush at = attack sense. But that doesn't really work.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 12:36
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    You could rush at an obstacle such as a gate, maybe? Like a bull? With the intention of jarring it open, perhaps?
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 12:42
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    @MichaelHarvey: A gate, maybe. But a table?
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 12:45
  • You should have seen my grandma when she'd had a few.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 13:12
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    Tables suitable for rushing at might include constables and notables, In an emergency, even large vegetables.
    – Ronald Sole
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 13:12

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As you understand, at can mean either "where an action takes place", as in They sat at the table, or "with X as its goal", when used with some other views, mostly verbs of motion, as in He flew at the policeman or She aimed at the target.

rushed is a verb of motion, so "rushed at the table" means "rushed towards the table", or "rushed, with the table as the goal". (Or maybe somehow "Performed the action of rushing, while at the table.") There's no way for it to mean "rushed to and then sits".

Reference: At - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary

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    @Fra The "sit" part can be implied by some constructions, since people normally sit at tables. "Come to the table" includes an implication that you will sit down. So "He hurried back to the table" could imply that he also sat, as long as he's a diner, not a waiter.
    – Andy Bonner
    Commented Apr 12, 2022 at 12:43

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