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
News bulletins have inevitably used Roberto Vecchioni’s song Luci a San Siro (San Siro Lights) to pull at the heartstrings of Milanisti, Interisti and football fans in general.
—
James Horncastle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
When exfoliating, be gentle with your skin and use upward circles to avoid stretching and pulling at your skin.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 Sep. 2025
But even as the two worlds pulling at Ulysses establish his conflict, neither place is clearly defined.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Rafael Nadal was famous for pulling at his shorts, tucking his hair behind his ears, and touching his nose, for example, while Serena Williams was known to bounce her ball a specific number of times (five on the first serve, and two on the second).
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull at
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James Horncastle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
When exfoliating, be gentle with your skin and use upward circles to avoid stretching and pulling at your skin.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 Sep. 2025
But even as the two worlds pulling at Ulysses establish his conflict, neither place is clearly defined.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Rafael Nadal was famous for pulling at his shorts, tucking his hair behind his ears, and touching his nose, for example, while Serena Williams was known to bounce her ball a specific number of times (five on the first serve, and two on the second).
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2025.
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