Bingo! Although it's much better to approach it as training in perseverance and patience. You'll damage a lot less that way ;)
If you've already put your lifters in solvent, that may or may not be part of the problem. Though the oil causes the vacuum against the walls, it also helps the plunger move easier in the bore.
I find that slaming the lifter head on a wood board to get the plunger as far out as possible is actually the best first step, if the lifter is still oiled up. Solvent will clean out any wood particles and should be done afterwards.