pull off

verb

pulled off; pulling off; pulls off
Synonyms of pull offnext

transitive verb

: to carry out despite difficulties : accomplish successfully against odds
the team pulled off an upset

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noozhawk reported that a public affairs staff vehicle and cars carrying journalists from Noozhawk, KEYT, KSYB and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record had pulled off to the side of a road to allow all media vehicles to clear base security. James Powel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 Similarly, Hull City have spent £20m on Greek No 1 Konstantinos Tzolakis, renowned for, above all else, pulling off excellent saves. Michael Cox, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Yet fighting for the spotlight could be the least of their problems, as questions swirled over how the Sussexes would actually pull off life in Britain. Lauryn Overhultz , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 JSerra transfer Gino Wang made his debut at quarterback for Servite, and the junior signal-caller showed flashes of what could come this season, making multiple incisive passes and pulling off a big 20-yard run on fourth down. Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pull off

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pull off was in 1860

Cite this Entry

“Pull off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20off. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster