pull on

phrasal verb

pulled on; pulling on; pulls on
1
: to hold onto and move (something) toward oneself
She pulled on the rope with all her might.
2
: to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly
When she gets nervous, she pulls on her ear.
3
: to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
He rocked back and forth, pulling on his pipe.
4
: to dress oneself in (clothing)
She quickly pulled on her boots.
He pulled a sweater on.

Examples of pull on in a Sentence

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.
After his kid’s daycare sent along a clip of junior being pulled on a scooter through an old church gym, our editor remembered this viral video starring a guy cruising along to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams and took to iMovie. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025 Just as sunlight interrupts the darkness over his small Hokkaido city, the 76-year-old pulls on his rain boots and dons a bright orange jacket. Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025 This square might show up as wanting to do everything yourself financially while your friends are literally offering help, or being overly generous with your resources because someone’s sob story pulled on your heartstrings. Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 7 Dec. 2025 One of the men forcefully pulls on her coat to place her in the wheelchair, with the initial man who was holding her up extending his free arm to tell the other person to stop. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pull on

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Cite this Entry

“Pull on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20on. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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