pull at
phrasal verb
pulled at; pulling at; pulls at
1
: to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly
When she gets nervous, she pulls at her ear.
2
: to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
He rocked back and forth, pulling at his pipe.
Examples of pull at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There were plenty of loose threads for supporters to pull at from the interview, though.
—
Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
The black dog repeatedly pulled at his brother's leash and stopped him from exploring further.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
But what pulled at my heartstrings more than the nature were the people who have made Dominica home.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2025
Still, most will probably have no impact on your pull at all—and keep in mind that diet could affect attractiveness through biological avenues besides odor too.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull at
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Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
The black dog repeatedly pulled at his brother's leash and stopped him from exploring further.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
But what pulled at my heartstrings more than the nature were the people who have made Dominica home.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2025
Still, most will probably have no impact on your pull at all—and keep in mind that diet could affect attractiveness through biological avenues besides odor too.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull at
Cite this Entry
“Pull at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20at. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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