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

Brunson scores his 20th point of the night on a ridiculous circus shot in the paint and then hits an ensuing free throw, and then Wemby answers right back with a pull-up mid-range jump shot on the next possession. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 8 June 2026

Wembanyama then altered Brunson’s pull-up jumper that soon hit off the rim. —Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

Verb

But at the last second, Pages pulled up to let Tucker make the catch, and Tucker hesitated before flailing after it. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

Dermatologists say people have been styling their hair in ways to intentionally pull up facial skin for time immemorial. —Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 May 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