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

With a third-quarter pull-up jumper Thursday night against the Boston Celtics, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard clinched his 127th consecutive regular-season game of scoring at least 20 points, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s previous record set between 1962 and 1963. —Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026

The Huskies’ Zoom Diallo missed a pull-up 3 just before the buzzer. —Andrew Seligman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026

Verb

Many of Lyles’ classmates, meanwhile, came from wealth and privilege, and the differences were visible immediately — in the cars that pulled up outside the dorms, in the easy familiarity some students had with faculty, in the quiet assumptions about who belonged. —Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026

In one photo, Jáimez pulls up in a white Rolls-Royce Cullinan. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 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