pull-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈpu̇l-ˌəp 

plural pull-ups

: an exercise in which one hangs by the hands from a support (such as a horizontal bar) and pulls oneself up until the chin is level with the support

specifically : such an exercise done with the palms facing outward compare chin-up

pull up

2 of 2

verb

pulled up; pulling up; pulls up

transitive verb

1

: to bring to a stop : halt

2

: check, rebuke

intransitive verb

1

a

: to check oneself

b

: to come to an often abrupt halt : stop

2

: to draw even with others in a race

Synonyms of pull-up

Verb

• stop
• halt
• catch
• stall
• check
• stay
• draw up
• hold up
• bring up

Examples of pull-up in a Sentence

Verb

the jockey tried to pull up the apparently injured horse

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Jaden Bradley, guard, 6-3, Arizona Bradley is a good pull-up shooter from midrange who either has yet to discover that 3s are worth an extra point or can’t convert shots from that distance. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 20 June 2026

Pull-Ups Though more advanced than other vertical pulling exercises, the pull-up is a staple exercise that targets your whole back. — Jakob Roze, Health, 17 June 2026

Verb

There’s a great accidental gag in a cut bit from the original MTV pilot when a deputy pulls up to arrest Knoxville and forgets to put her car in park. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Then colleagues pulled up a video from the scene of the raid that showed a man lying on the ground in a pool of blood. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1623, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for pull-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup