pull apart
phrasal 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 figurativelyHis 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
After simmering in a pot for about 30 minutes, tiny creole potatoes are added and cooked until soft, and until the chicken is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
—
Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 15 May 2025
The moon is etched with ridges and fractures, features that scientists suspect result from oceanic forces — like rising water or convection currents — pulling apart the ice from below.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 13 May 2025
It’s subsequently gone viral on TikTok for videos of customers pulling apart its gooey mozzarella sticks.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
And that one topic is to what extent the seams are pulling apart on a patchwork roster.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull apart
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Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 15 May 2025
The moon is etched with ridges and fractures, features that scientists suspect result from oceanic forces — like rising water or convection currents — pulling apart the ice from below.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 13 May 2025
It’s subsequently gone viral on TikTok for videos of customers pulling apart its gooey mozzarella sticks.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
And that one topic is to what extent the seams are pulling apart on a patchwork roster.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull apart
Cite this Entry
“Pull apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20apart. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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