Why isn't my button's hover style applying when transitioning from the focus state?

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Why isn't my button's hover style applying when transitioning from the focus state?

Asked on Jan 04, 2026

Answer

When a button's hover style isn't applying after transitioning from the focus state, it might be due to CSS specificity or the order of your styles. Ensuring that the hover styles are defined correctly and have the right specificity can resolve this issue.

<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
    <style>
      button {
        background-color: lightblue;
        border: none;
        padding: 10px 20px;
        cursor: pointer;
        transition: background-color 0.3s;
      }
      
      button:focus {
        background-color: lightgreen;
        outline: none;
      }

      button:hover {
        background-color: lightcoral;
      }
    </style>

    <button>Hover and Focus Me</button>
    <!-- END COPY / PASTE -->

Additional Comment:

Ensure that the hover styles are defined after the focus styles in your CSS to maintain the correct order of precedence.
Use the transition property to smoothly animate between focus and hover states.
Check for any JavaScript that might be interfering with the button's state changes.
Make sure the button is not disabled, as this can prevent hover styles from applying.

✅ Answered with CSS best practices.

Ask any question about CSS here... and get an instant response.

Why isn't my button's hover style applying when transitioning from the focus state?

Asked on Jan 04, 2026

Answer

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