pull apart

verb

pulled apart; pulling apart; pulls apart

1

: to be separated into parts or pieces by pulling

The rolls pull apart easily.

2

: to separate or break (something) into parts or pieces

She pulled the rolls apart with her hands.

—sometimes used figuratively

His gambling problem is pulling the family apart.

3

: to separate (people or animals) in order to stop a fight

Customers stepped in and pulled the two men apart.

Examples of pull apart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But as the two systems pull apart, China is growing more confident in its model of development and diplomacy, while Washington’s preferred tools of sanctions and pressure are losing their force. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

When a quark and antiquark are pulled apart, the energy between them does not simply weaken with distance. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

What Could Be Next Expect the snoring category to keep pulling apart into three tiers, and each has a different action for readers deciding what to try. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026

Yet now its limbs are being pulled apart, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, for reasons that remain unclear. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for pull apart

• counterpart
• art
• cart
• carte
• chart
• dart
• fart
• haart
• mart
• part
• smart
• start