1
2
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort
the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
I gave the door such a pull that when it suddenly opened, I nearly fell backwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
their lawyer supposedly has a lot of pull with the administration in Washington
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
a political candidate with all of the pull that comes with a vast fortune and famous surname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pull
Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said an infant's body was pulled from the rubble in the Darnytskyi district, where a four-story apartment building was damaged.
—Lidia Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2025
Trump has a sixth sense for power There’s a push and a pull to power.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
The local media loved this and similar stunts the group pulled, such as attaching wings to bicycles, attempting to fly over the river, and towing bicycles on rafts behind canoes.
—Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said an infant's body was pulled from the rubble in the Darnytskyi district, where a four-story apartment building was damaged.
—Lidia Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
This pair of pull-on pants comes in gray and a gray plaid design that will add texture and dimension to so many of my fall outfits.
—Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2025
Trump has a sixth sense for power There’s a push and a pull to power.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
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Jayden Daniels’ Washington Commanders haul up to Lambeau Field, a premier destination for leaping into the arms of strangers.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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The plan has long been to haul about 30 of these tubes back to Earth, where they would be studied in far greater detail than Perseverance can achieve with its limited instrument suite — a point Stack Morgan brought up on Wednesday.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The line often stretches out the door, a testament to the café’s reputation as one of Nashville’s most beloved no-frills eateries.—
Rai Mincey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Shark nets were installed across 51 beaches in NSW, for the season starting September 1, across 51 beaches stretching around 140 miles from Newcastle to Wollongong, 9News reports.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The tug-and-pull over GOP members’ demands for more documents and testimony comes as lawmakers juggle the appropriations process and face an end-of-month deadline to fund the government.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
3 Sep. 2025
-
When the state attorney’s office steps in, the prosecution pushes back, resulting in a legal and political tug of war that thrusts Adnan’s case into chaotic uncertainty.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By the mid-1930s, however, Husseini’s influence was dimming.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Fall’s fashion trends mark a return to classicism, with influences from academia and the English countryside, and few pieces capture the mood as effortlessly as blazers.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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An August poll from Roanoke College found Spanberger with a 46%-39% lead, while the RealClearPolitics average of polls shows her with the same 7-point advantage.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The totemic power of Apple is running out of time to reset expectations around AI to its own advantage.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is not about dragging NATO into war.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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After being struck from behind, he was dragged to the ground and mauled him, with other lions joined in, per Khaosod English.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But some of his campaign’s reactions to Fetterman’s stroke in May 2022 hurt his chances even more.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Lopes is a very tough fighter, but his inability to stay technical will hurt him against the powerful Silva.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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