Synonyms of pull

pull 1 of 2

verb

ˈpu̇l 

1

as in to haul

to cause to follow by applying steady force on

a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon

Synonyms & Similar Words

• haul
• drag
• tug
• draw
• tow
• carry
• attract
• lug
• move
• heave
• yank
• hale
• convey
• transport
• jerk
• ferry

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• push
• drive
• propel
• thrust
• shove

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

• pry
• yank
• extract
• pluck
• remove
• tear (out)
• uproot
• prize
• take (out)
• wring
• wrest
• root (out)
• withdraw
• corkscrew
• mine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• insert
• install
• instill
• implant
• stuff
• jam
• ram
• wedge
• cram

3

as in to stretch

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure

lift the crate carefully, or you'll pull a muscle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stretch
• hurt
• damage
• strain
• weaken
• rack
• wrench
• bruise
• tear
• wound
• fray
• impair
• tax
• harm
• cripple
• batter
• mutilate
• mangle
• lame

pull

2 of 2

noun

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

• tug
• yank
• wrench
• jerk
• draw
• haul
• pluck
• grab
• tow
• drag
• hitch
• snatch
• twitch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• push
• thrust
• shove
• heave

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

• influence
• sway
• leverage
• credit
• in
• weight
• authority
• clout
• juice
• importance
• heft
• dominance
• impress
• moment
• reign
• impression
• impact
• command
• mastery
• counterinfluence
• dominion
• predominance
• sovereignty
• supremacy
• consequence
• imprint
• scepter
• eminence
• mark

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weakness
• helplessness
• impotence
• powerlessness
• impotency

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

• advantage
• edge
• jump
• opportunity
• drop
• odds
• start
• stead
• bulge
• upper hand
• vantage
• better
• lead
• high ground
• coign of vantage
• whip hand
• inside track
• margin
• privilege
• superiority
• catbird seat
• head start
• dominance
• allowance
• benefit
• ascendancy
• transcendence
• foothold
• prerogative
• mastery
• leg up
• precedence
• predominance
• break
• seniority
• supremacy
• command
• preference
• windfall
• transcendency
• godsend
• blessing
• manna
• boon
• felicity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strike
• disadvantage
• penalty
• liability
• minus
• handicap
• drawback
• let
• detriment
• failing
• imbalance
• disparity
• catch
• disability
• stop
• check
• inequality
• stranglehold
• rub
• interference
• impairment
• hitch
• bar
• obstruction
• obstacle
• shortcoming
• hindrance
• impediment
• hurdle
• embarrassment
• unevenness
• setback
• shackle
• crimp
• clog
• lurch
• trammel
• manacle

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pull

Verb

Without hesitation, one of the managers at the supermarket sprang into action and pulled the little girl to safety just moments before she would have been hit by a passing minivan. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026

In real terms, that means shorter exposure times to pull a clean image out of a faint galaxy or nebula and fewer hours standing in the cold waiting for enough photons to hit the sensor. — New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026

Noun

So by measuring that gravitational pull, the GRAIL mission could reveal information about what lies beneath the surface. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026

The pull-on pants trend meets the classic chino in this modern version of the preppy fit. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing pull

• pull a face
• pull down
• pull in
• pull off
• pull one's leg
• pull out
• pull round
• pull stakes
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• pull together
• pull up
• pull up stakes