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

Walker made seven shots from beyond the arc, both in pull-up fashion and step-backs. —Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025

James, who turns 41 in two days, scored 10 points in the opening quarter, his final two on a pull-up jumper that gave the Lakers a 30-24 advantage entering the second. —Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025

Verb

Private boats can also pull up for the day—anchor offshore or tie up at the public docks on the east and west sides, which are first-come, first-served. —Heema Patel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026

Grainy surveillance footage shows white vans pulling up to agaves during late-night and early-morning hours, beginning in 2022. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 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