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
Southampton captain Jack Stephens marked him tightly and pulled at his shirt, with Rogers once more questioning referee Thomas Bramall’s decisions.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Trump was expected to sign the order Thursday, but it was pulled at the last minute.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025
If needed, lightly holding your skin taut should be enough to shave the area without excessively stretching or pulling at it.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025
Emergency crews have pulled at least 28 bodies out of the water.
—Brad Dress, The Hill, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull at
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Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Trump was expected to sign the order Thursday, but it was pulled at the last minute.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025
If needed, lightly holding your skin taut should be enough to shave the area without excessively stretching or pulling at it.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025
Emergency crews have pulled at least 28 bodies out of the water.
—Brad Dress, The Hill, 30 Jan. 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 1 May. 2025.
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