pull at

verb

pulled at; pulling at; pulls at
1
: to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly
When she gets nervous, she pulls at her ear.
2
: to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
He rocked back and forth, pulling at his pipe.

Examples of pull at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
How to say no to all the distractions and everything that’s pulling at you in the most distracting era maybe in human history. — David Katz, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 Rescue crews pulled at least 12 people from under the rubble, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta told reporters at the site on Monday. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 To get to bowl eligibility, Belichick’s team was going to need to pull at least one upset. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Andrew’s youngest daughter just had a baby girl, Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank, and RadarOnline is reporting that some think the name is a gesture meant to pull at King Charles’ heartstrings. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pull at

Cite this Entry

“Pull at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20at. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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