pull at
phrasal verb
pulled at; pulling at; pulls at
1
: to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly
When she gets nervous, she pulls at her ear.
2
: to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
He rocked back and forth, pulling at his pipe.
Examples of pull at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After an unexpected loss of the couple's canine, Alanna and Keith decided to open their hearts to a senior dog whose eyes immediately pulled at their heartstrings.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
Most tried to avoid provoking direct retaliation from the White House, even as subtle pressure mounted in both directions, as if Wall Street and the West Wing were pulling at opposite ends of the same balloon.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 14 May 2025
While Dixie and Toby were pulling at their leashes to run further into the snow, their handlers were eyeing a hill to sled down after work.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
There’s also a triangle with Stella being in the center — Stanley and Blanche pulling at the allegiance of Stella.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull at
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Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
Most tried to avoid provoking direct retaliation from the White House, even as subtle pressure mounted in both directions, as if Wall Street and the West Wing were pulling at opposite ends of the same balloon.
—Catherine Baab, Quartz, 14 May 2025
While Dixie and Toby were pulling at their leashes to run further into the snow, their handlers were eyeing a hill to sled down after work.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
There’s also a triangle with Stella being in the center — Stanley and Blanche pulling at the allegiance of Stella.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull at
Cite this Entry
“Pull at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20at. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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