pull off

verb

pulled off; pulling off; pulls off

transitive verb

: to carry out despite difficulties : accomplish successfully against odds
the team pulled off an upset

Examples of pull off in a Sentence

the rebel forces pulled off a surprisingly successful offensive against the better equipped government troops
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.
One of the great pleasures of anime is that its unabashed, rollicky genre pieces are often suffused with grand, but not grandiose, sociopolitical commentary — a heady combination that many similar pictures can’t pull off. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 On Friday, South Grand Prairie (7-0, 5-0) will aim to stay undefeated, while Haltom will look to pull off the upset. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025 After the team's Week 5 loss against the New Orleans Saints, Dart helped the team pull off a shocking 34-17 upset against the Super Bowl-reigning Philadelphia Eagles a week later. Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025 Winston worked with Tom Cruise to pull off an elaborate TV stunt that saw Tom Cruise ride out of the Paris venue on a motorcycle — only to emerge in the Hollywood hills, parachuting out of a plane by the iconic Hollywood sign with the Olympic flag in tow. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pull off

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pull off was in 1883

Cite this Entry

“Pull off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20off. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pull off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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