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

Synonyms

• fulfill
• accomplish
• perform
• fulfil
• execute
• achieve
• do
• carry out
• make
• carry off
• implement
• put through

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

The difficulty of completing an immaculate inning — striking out all three batters in a frame on the minimum nine pitches — is highlighted by how few pitchers have pulled off the feat. —Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025

California’s biggest electric utilities pulled off a record-breaking test of cutting-edge grid technology that should make powering the data center boom and avoiding heatwave blackouts cheaper, easier, and greener. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Avalon Penrose has just pulled off what is bound to go down in history as one of the messiest auditions ever seen on America’s Got Talent to date. —Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025

Congratulations to King of the Hill on pulling off the highly difficult combination vegan/poop joke. —Genevieve Koski, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pull off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff