pull

verb

\ ˈpu̇l

also ˈpəl

pulled; pulling; pulls

Definition of pull

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to exert force upon so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the force

b : to stretch (cooling candy) repeatedly pull taffy

c : to strain abnormally pull a tendon

d : to hold back (a racehorse) from winning

e : to work (an oar) by drawing back strongly

2a : to draw out from the skin pull feathers from a rooster's tail

b : to pluck from a plant or by the roots pull flowers pull turnips

c : extract pull a tooth

3 : to hit (a ball) toward the left from a right-handed swing or toward the right from a left-handed swing — compare push

4 : to draw apart : rend, tear

5 : to print (something, such as a proof) by impression

6a : to remove from a place or situation pull the engine pulled the pitcher in the third inning pulled the show

b : revoke If they're caught dumping, they'll get their license pulled.— Alexandra Alger

7 : to bring (a weapon) into the open pulled a knife

8a : perform, carry out pull an all-nighter pull guard duty

b : commit, perpetrate pull a robbery pull a prank

9a : put on, assume pull a grin

b : to act or behave in the manner of pulled a Horace Greely and went west— Steve Rushin

10a : to draw the support or attention of : attract pull votes —often used with in

b : obtain, secure pulled a B in the course

11 : to demand or obtain an advantage over someone by the assertion of pull rank

intransitive verb

1a : to use force in drawing, dragging, or tugging

b : to move especially through the exercise of mechanical energy the car pulled clear of the rut

c(1) : to take a drink

(2) : to draw hard in smoking pulled at a pipe

d : to strain against the bit

2 : to draw a gun

3 : to admit of being pulled

4 : to feel or express strong sympathy : root pulling for my team to win

5 of an offensive lineman in football : to move back from the line of scrimmage and toward one flank to provide blocking for a ballcarrier

pull a face

: to make a face : grimace

pull a fast one

: to perpetrate a trick or fraud

pull oneself together

: to regain one's composure

pull one's leg

: to deceive someone playfully : hoax

pull one's weight

: to do one's full share of the work

pull punches or less commonly pull a punch

: to refrain from using all the force at one's disposal

pull stakes or pull up stakes

: to move out : leave

pull strings or less commonly pull wires

: to exert hidden influence or control

pull the plug

1 : to disconnect a medical life-support system

2 : to withdraw essential and especially financial support

pull the rug from under

: to weaken or unsettle especially by removing support or assistance from

pull the string

: to throw a changeup

pull the trigger

: to make a decisive move or action

pull the wool over one's eyes

: to blind to the true situation : hoodwink

pull together

: to work in harmony : cooperate

pull

noun, often attributive

Definition of pull (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the act or an instance of pulling

b(1) : a draft of liquid

(2) : an inhalation of smoke

c : the effort expended in moving a long pull uphill

d : force required to overcome resistance to pulling a trigger with a four pound pull

e : a competition in which a heavily weighted sled is pulled by participants usually using draft animals or machines a tractor pull the county fair's annual ox pull The truck pull may be one one of the machine age's weirdest mutations. Modified pickup trucks and dragsters are hooked to trailers or "sleds" weighed down with 30,000 to 40,000 pounds … They rev up their engines and slog their way across a 200-foot mud track.

2a : advantage

b : special influence

3 : proof sense 6a

4 : a device for pulling something or for operating by pulling a drawer pull

5 : a force that attracts, compels, or influences : attraction

6 : an injury resulting from abnormal straining or stretching a muscle pull a groin pull

Other Words from pull Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about pull

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Synonyms & Antonyms for pull

Synonyms: Verb

drag, draw, hale, haul, lug, tow, tug

Synonyms: Noun

draw, haul, jerk, pluck, tug, wrench, yank

Antonyms: Verb

drive, propel, push

Antonyms: Noun

push

Examples of pull in a Sentence

Verb

He pulled the door open and ran out. The cat will scratch you if you keep pulling its tail. Make a knot in the rope and pull it tight. Pull the baby's chair closer to the table. She pulled the blanket over her head. We tried pushing and pulling but couldn't get the couch to move. Grab the end of the rope and pull as hard as you can. We spent the morning in the garden pulling weeds. I accidentally pulled one of the buttons off my shirt. He pulled the plug out of the socket.

Noun

She gave the door a few hard pulls and it opened. Give the rope a pull. He has a lot of pull in local political circles.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Then, after making her way back down the stairs, Gaga pulled a quick switch. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Lady Gaga Had Three Full Outfit Changes on the Met Gala 2019 Red Carpet," 6 May 2019 The missile pulled lead, then did a ninety degree reversal and hit the aircraft in the tail. — Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, "Why the F-14 Tomcat Is Such a Badass Plane," 3 May 2019 While the architecture pushes for spatial flow, the interior design pulls back with visual structure. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "Inside an Unconventionally Glam Family Home in Chicago’s Historic Palmolive Building," 30 Apr. 2019 The largest study of cancer survival trends, published in 2018 in the Lancet, pulled data from cancer registries in 71 countries covering 67 percent of the world’s population from 2000 to 2014. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "We’re making real progress against cancer. But you may not know it if you’re poor.," 8 Jan. 2019 The Trump administration is immediately pulling all of the 2,000-plus U.S. troops out of Syria. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Another damning Facebook data-privacy report — and a new lawsuit — sink the social network’s shares," 20 Dec. 2018 The New York Police Department pulled nearly 3,000 body cameras off the streets after one exploded inside a Staten Island precinct early Sunday. — Fox News, "NYPD pulls 3,000 body cams off street after one exploded," 22 Oct. 2018 In 2017, when the exhibit highlighted Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, Rihanna managed to make an architectural CDG confection covered in floral fabrics layered and pulled apart like petals look next-level. — Maria Ward, Vogue, "Rihanna’s Best Met Gala Red Carpet Looks Throughout the Years," 22 Apr. 2019 Forecasters have been pulling data from past years that show similar weather patterns (AKA analog years). — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "AccuWeather's 2019 Hurricane Forecast Predicts as Many as 14 Tropical Storms This Year," 17 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The recent Golden Globe winner is fantastic as a brooding detective, and the occult atmospherics and the rural American landscape exert their irresistible (if familiar) pull. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "Three New Crime Shows To Get Hooked on Now," 12 Jan. 2019 Semiautomatic weapons, by contrast, fire a single bullet per trigger pull. — German Lopez, Vox, "The Trump administration just banned bump stocks for guns," 18 Dec. 2018 The mirror also features a pull-out magnifying mirror, which can slide away to reduce visual clutter. — Sophie Wirt, Allure, "9 Vanity Mirrors With Lights to Buy on Amazon if You're Leo Who Loves Looking at Yourself," 8 Aug. 2018 Dozens of pick-your-own options range from fava beans to squash blossoms to kohlrabi, and a platoon of pull wagons are available to haul in your harvest. — Larry Bleiberg, USA TODAY, "10 great pick-your-own farms across the USA," 22 June 2018 But precum probably isn’t to blame for the unreliability of the pull-out method. — Kasandra Brabaw, SELF, "Can You Get Pregnant From Precum?," 7 Mar. 2019 Next, the fittings are rugged, pre-finished to resist corrosion, and swing hardware is bolted to prevent any dangerous pull-outs. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Build a Wooden Swing Set," 30 Jan. 2019 What’s important is that in that equation — among all the variables at play, which include mass, velocity, gravitational pull, magnetism, and electricity — lies the Planck constant. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "The world is about to redefine the kilogram," 15 Nov. 2018 The company has three models and two different sizes of teardrop campers, with the largest model boasting a queen memory foam mattress, bug screen, and a pull-out writing desk. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "5 lightweight camper trailers you can buy right now," 13 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pull.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.