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
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Chicago police have opened a death investigation after a male body was pulled from Lake Michigan Friday afternoon in the Gold Coast neighborhood, officials said.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
Her plan is to stay largely offline, lean on her castmates and resist the pull of whatever discourse follows the premiere.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
Medet Zheenaliev, 30, spotted four girls swimming in Lake Issyk-Kul in his home country of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, and one of them was reportedly pulled under the current.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Chicago police have opened a death investigation after a male body was pulled from Lake Michigan Friday afternoon in the Gold Coast neighborhood, officials said.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Noun
The Series 3+ and older Series 3 trackers have an IP66K rating for protection against high-pressure water exposure, and include a collar with a stainless steel magnetic locking system that Fi says can withstand 500 pounds of pull force.
—Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
Her plan is to stay largely offline, lean on her castmates and resist the pull of whatever discourse follows the premiere.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
-
Beshey hauled him to the front yard, having to set him down once because of his bulk.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
18 May 2026
-
The film eliminated even a gesture toward a plot while showing solitary nonprofessional and real-life ranch-hand Misael Saavedra chopping and hauling logs in the Argentinian hinterlands (in actuality, Alonso’s family’s ranch).—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
But the bureaucracy of resettlement can stretch on for years, and by the early twenty-tens Jordan had one of the largest per-capita refugee populations on earth.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Our former swing state now has become a red state through and through thanks largely to the new congressional districts which are stretched to inane proportions.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
What was remarkable about Newcastle was how one tug on the thread caused Nuno’s players to unravel.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Aqua Lares, originally known as Giant I, was built as an icebreaking tug in 1974 by the Dutch shipyard IHC Verschure.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Kofman’s article chronicles the path of such ideas from the fringes to the mainstream, outlining their influence on figures such as Peter Thiel, Stephen Miller, and Elon Musk.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
The first two signal the domestic draw that pulls her lover into her orbit, time and time again; the last, her unwillingness to be cowed when the powers that be come to threaten her—and her influence over the other characters, to resist the bootheel of the bully.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
For one thing, that extra speed—plus a spike in spin, which has allowed pitchers to throw harder while also making the ball swerve, dive, and kick—has given pitchers an even greater advantage over batters than before.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Lennard scored a late touchdown in the second quarter and had a 6-0 advantage at halftime.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Analysts have repeatedly warned that if the war drags on and supply chains are disrupted for long enough, prices for gas and a range of other goods could continue to climb.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Billy, who speaks in a honeyed southern accent, dresses in Old Hollywood drag, and lives alone in the defunct summer camp where Camp Miasma was shot, isn’t just an envoy from another generation but a representative of a more visceral relationship with art.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Once, Denise yanked an earring out of Djena’s left ear, tearing the lobe.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
That infuriatingly catchy Kars4Kids donation jingle got yanked off the air in California.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers left the game mid at-bat in the eighth inning after hurting his wrist on a foul-ball swing.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
19 May 2026
-
Missing debt payments can hurt your credit score relatively quickly, particularly if accounts become 30 or 60 days past due.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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