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

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

Dervin absolutely crushed the combine, scoring top-10 in the Wingate fatigue test, second in the class in the vertical jump, sixth in the bench press and top-five in the pull-up tests. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 29 June 2025

Dead lifts, lunges, planks, presses, pull-ups and push-ups require many muscles that elevate oxygen use and the release of hormones such as adrenaline that increase blood flow to muscles and boost overall heart rate — both key goals. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 23 June 2025

Verb

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder have now pulled up a chair and been seated at the table. —Shane Young, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

Bubble tea lovers need to pull up to the Moon Garden in the Bywater neighborhood. —Essence, 23 June 2025

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