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.
Houston attempted a comeback Thursday, but the Illini pulled off the win. Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026 Blue Origin's approach may resemble NASA's DART mission If an asteroid were ever to threaten Earth, Blue Origin's concept may resemble something like what NASA pulled off in 2022 with its DART mission. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026 In the Chrysler Building’s 96 years of occupancy, exactly two people have managed to pull off the children’s-book fantasy of living there. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2026 Pidgeon is great, but watching her perform is like watching a pianist who could pull off Chopin be forced to practice scales. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 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 30 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on pull off

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