pull off

verb

pulled off; pulling off; pulls off
Synonyms of pull offnext

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.
SpaceX on Thursday pulled off its second consecutive successful test flight of its Starship megarocket. Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 25 July 2026 Using gestures and swipes on a traditional slab-style phone always felt cramped and imprecise when trying to pull off quick maneuvers. Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026 Read the full story about how Culp pulled off this remarkable turnaround here. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 July 2026 The 76ers didn’t even desperately need him, which makes Myers waltzing into free agency and pulling off this casual heist even more delightfully sadistic. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pull off

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pull off was in 1860

Cite this Entry

“Pull off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20off. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on pull off

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster