pull in

verb

Definition of pull innext
1
as in to contain
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) a company that cannot manage to pull in costs will not be in business for very long

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to arrest
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law he was pulled in after a random traffic stop turned up drugs in his car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull in
  1. contain
  2. arrest
  3. control
  4. seize
  5. keep
  6. run in
  7. regulate
  8. grab
Verb
  • Another 19 shipments, containing about 119,000 gallons, were stopped at the Port of Houston.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Sound tends to be hit or miss for outdoor shows as there’s nothing to contain the noise.
    — Rashad Alexander October 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of contain
Verb
  • Choudri also made headlines earlier this year after the authority put him on leave after police arrested him at his Folsom home following a fight between his daughter and fiancée.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In 2019, Italian police arrested three people in a scheme to sell at least 11,000 counterfeit bottles of Tignanello in Italy, Germany and Belgium, labeled as 2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages but filled with low-quality wine.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrest
Verb
  • The regions of the brain that control emotion and memory, like the amygdala and hippocampus, also function differently during this altered state.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Which team’s backfield will help their team control the clock and potentially win the game?
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of control
Verb
  • Meanwhile in 2023, the company seized the opportunity to launch on TikTok Shop with select brands shortly after the platform’s Stateside debut, and has since continued to innovate there through live-selling and cutting-edge creator partnerships.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The document notes that a bailiff has previously seized and auctioned property from the premises, but that has not met the debt.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Ellison has so far agreed to keep CBS and CNN separate and under different leadership.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Traders are now pricing in a 78% chance that the Fed will keep rates unchanged at its next meeting, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of keep
Verb
  • While traffic has dipped in response, ships continue to cross, with many making shuttle runs in and out of the Gulf to unload oil cargoes via ship-to-ship transfers.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Christianson broke off a 78-yard touchdown run in the second half.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of run in
Verb
  • In Congress, crypto companies are pushing for market-structure rules, AI firms are battling over how Washington will regulate their rapidly expanding industry, and sports-betting operators are confronting regulatory fights.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, is a synthetic peptide designed to mimic GLP-1, which helps regulate satiety.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of regulate
Verb
  • Two teenage suspects, ages 14 and 15, allegedly grabbed a necklace from the victim’s neck after walking by them, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Or, just head down to one of the bars by the pool or grab a fresh juice.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pullers
pull in
pulling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pull in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull%20in. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All