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

His workouts, jaw-clenching pull-ups and all, regularly appear on social media. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026

Wagler hit shots after off-ball screens and got to his spots for pull-ups. — Law Murray, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Verb

All the framing members were stacked on top of one another, and the carpenter had even installed metal connectors to ensure the roof rafters would not get pulled up and off the walls in a windstorm. — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026

Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was accused of pulling up a two-foot square piece of the pool’s lining. — Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 1 Aug. 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