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
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Recent Examples of pull
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Apr. 2026
Stammen is quoted in my game story (here) saying the Padres liked the matchup and that the hard contact against King is what precipitated his decision to pull the right-hander.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Prettygarden 2-piece Sleeveless Jumpsuit A good travel wardrobe should include easy pull-on-and-go outfits that require no extra thought and instantly look great, and this now-$25 set checks all the boxes—and won’t wrinkle in your suitcase.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
Fox News Digital is reporting that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos pulled the most experienced investigators off the case.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Apr. 2026
Stammen is quoted in my game story (here) saying the Padres liked the matchup and that the hard contact against King is what precipitated his decision to pull the right-hander.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
Every round required the same limited pull.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Prettygarden 2-piece Sleeveless Jumpsuit A good travel wardrobe should include easy pull-on-and-go outfits that require no extra thought and instantly look great, and this now-$25 set checks all the boxes—and won’t wrinkle in your suitcase.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
-
Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she's expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
From the near-panoramic window of our room at the Spindrift, we were greeted each morning by sea otters floating on their backs in the kelp beds, pods of dolphins arcing through the swell and the occasional seal hauled out on a nearby promontory.—
Alexandra Genova,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trolley lines move across the city, stretching as far West as the Darby Transit Center and back East toward 13th street.—
Kaitlyn McCormick,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In the courtyard, the hotel’s signature Mariposa (Spanish for butterfly) sculpture stretches overhead like a modern butterfly wing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Finances and fun tug at each other as the dynamic Sun energizes your 2nd House of Budgeting and squares joyous Jupiter in your 5th House of Indulgence.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
At one point on Day 5 of this flight, late this Sunday, the spacecraft will officially cross the threshold of the lunar sphere of influence — the point in space where the tug of the moon’s gravity is stronger than Earth’s gravity.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Besler is part of the montage of key influences and reflections of the growth of the game here — a point nicely made by Tocco as Besler was heading to Brazil in 2014.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Your influence expands when Mars in your dramatic 8th house sextiles radical Uranus in your power-hungry 10th house.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mullins banked in a 3-pointer in the final minute to counter a small run from the Illini and send the Huskies into the break with a 37-29 advantage.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Leading 46-44 a few minutes into the fourth quarter, South Carolina scored five straight points, capped by Makeer’s 3-pointer to extend the advantage to seven.—
Doug Feinberg,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Continue reading … EMERGENCY EASE — Trump administration steps in with rare tax relief for DHS workers as shutdown drags on.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Several parents who spoke to The Baltimore Sun, under the condition of anonymity because of fears that the institution would retaliate against their sons, questioned why the school continues to drag its feet about bringing back Moran.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chelsea were a few seconds from going out of the quarter-finals (losing 3-2 on aggregate) when Arsenal full-back Katie McCabe halted a run by Chelsea’s USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson by grabbing Thompson’s ponytail and yanking it, as shown above.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Severino allowed back-to-back singles with one out in the fourth and was yanked for reliever Elvis Alvarado.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But as long as nobody gets hurt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
That's not to say this defeat to a major play-off rival didn't hurt.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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