1
2
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort
the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
I gave the door such a pull that when it suddenly opened, I nearly fell backwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
their lawyer supposedly has a lot of pull with the administration in Washington
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
a political candidate with all of the pull that comes with a vast fortune and famous surname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pull
ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Smith was pulled after facing five hitters (throwing 24 pitches) in the first and reentered in the second.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
The fairly clean attachments popped off the mixer with the pull of a loop and took seconds to hand-wash.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
Peterson, who has had serious cramping issues this season, bent over and pulled his jersey partway over his face early in the second half but stayed in the game.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Smith was pulled after facing five hitters (throwing 24 pitches) in the first and reentered in the second.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
In a media landscape increasingly shaped by individual creators rather than institutions, the gravitational pull is not toward the center but toward the rough edges.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
The fairly clean attachments popped off the mixer with the pull of a loop and took seconds to hand-wash.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
-
California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials hauling a mother bear to their vehicle after it was tranquilized and captured in Monrovia on Sunday afternoon.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Every day, food scraps disappear into trash bags, are hauled away and forgotten.—
Ahmed Ibrahim Yunus,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Curiosity stretches as the unconscious Moon enters Aries and fires up your 9th House of Travel, which favors things like booking a class or reading a book to expand your mind.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Emotional rug-pulls arrive in the form of happy surprises that stretch the third act too long and test the limits of our disbelief.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic, which won the Academy Award for visual effects and spawned an enduring franchise, turns the commercial towing vessel Nostromo — essentially a tug-hauling cargo ship — into something claustrophobic and unforgiving.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Field Day Song The Melon Patch kids compete in fun Field Day activities and learn the power of teamwork with activities like tug of war and relay races.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The lieutenant governor’s victory is also a win for Pritzker, with her Democratic primary serving as an early test of the governor’s national influence.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has since sought to exert his influence over the country and acting President Delcy Rodríguez.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Illinois, which had a huge height advantage, held VCU to 35% shooting and outrebounded the Rams 45-29.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Oklahoma used a 7-0 run late in the first quarter for a double-digit advantage and then outscored Idaho 30-16 in the second quarter for a 57-35 lead at the half.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Petzold dragged his chair a little closer to listen.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
-
O’Brien’s words echoed the taunts that the two had thrown back and forth at each other in an actual Senate hearing that almost ended in a knockdown, drag-out fight.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Republican president had initially endorsed Hurd in October, only to yank back his support in February.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
20 Mar. 2026
-
In 2010, Fox waited until just a few days before the launch of Mark Burnett show Our Little Genius to yank the series from its lineup over questions about the integrity of the production.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Your discerning side notices details others miss, so name what works and what hurts before proposing adjustments that would fix the latter.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But if the situation drags on, higher energy prices could start to weigh more heavily on the global economy, hurting consumers, slowing growth, and keeping markets under pressure.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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