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
This year, many advertisers elected to pull at the heartstrings with ads featuring families and animals.
—
Mae Anderson, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Concepts that pull at you without logic attached.
—Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
An Islander had tried to take a soldier’s musket by grabbing the muzzle, while another had pulled at a sailor’s coat.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The agent sprays Pretti with a chemical irritant and drags him to his knees as Pretti pulls at the backpack of the other bystander, potentially reaching for a water bottle.
—Thomas Bordeaux, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull at
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Mae Anderson, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Concepts that pull at you without logic attached.
—Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
An Islander had tried to take a soldier’s musket by grabbing the muzzle, while another had pulled at a sailor’s coat.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The agent sprays Pretti with a chemical irritant and drags him to his knees as Pretti pulls at the backpack of the other bystander, potentially reaching for a water bottle.
—Thomas Bordeaux, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
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 7 Feb. 2026.
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