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 of pull off

• fulfill
• accomplish
• perform
• achieve
• execute
• 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

Democrats pulled off a massive upset in Hill’s state of Texas, winning the state’s high-profile Senate race and unseating Republican incumbents for governor and lieutenant governor. — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026

The Lake Superior State hockey team pulled off an awesome move for the anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald going down. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026

But by forcing the question, progressives hope to either pull off a miracle — or at least, keep an argument going. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2026

Ojeda arrived on Capitol Hill this week, one of several new members who pulled off upset victories this year. — Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pull off

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