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
Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of true love pull Nicholas and Isabel together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2023
Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
However, scientists can infer that the shorter days are due to the Earth’s gravitational pull to our moon, and any long-term variations in Earth’s spin speed can be affected by factors like the complex motion of Earth’s core, oceans, and atmosphere.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
During the event, Riley wore black boots, a black dress, held a black and gold bag, and rocked a pair of massive gold hoops to pull it all together.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of true love pull Nicholas and Isabel together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
Plus, the decorative knob pull adds a beautiful accent to the piece.
—Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
However, scientists can infer that the shorter days are due to the Earth’s gravitational pull to our moon, and any long-term variations in Earth’s spin speed can be affected by factors like the complex motion of Earth’s core, oceans, and atmosphere.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
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About twelve years ago, a contractor named Geary Blackwood hauled a massive flint rock to one of his properties, on a busy highway, to mark a row of mailboxes that kept getting mowed down.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
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Twice in his tenure, Xi has even hauled the entire high command to historic revolutionary sites where Mao institutionalized the party’s control of the military, reinforcing the military’s role as the armed wing of the Communist Party.—
JONATHAN A. CZIN,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Originally expected to be a three-month rental for filming, COVID-19 delays stretched the family’s time away from home to around 11 months.—
Brendel Clark,
Freep.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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The disparity is not like division play, as Sankey pointed out, when for long stretches one division was much stronger than the other, and teams played most of their games against their own division.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Japan's Defense Ministry reported recent Russian naval movements around the country, where a formation of three vessels—a submarine, a frigate, and a rescue tug—was spotted passing through the Tsushima Strait between Wednesday and Thursday, local time.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Images from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed tugs spraying water on the front of the New Orleans.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The effort to remove Cook comes as the administration has unleashed a campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion, and intensifies Trump's ongoing effort to gain influence over the U.S. central bank and push it to lower interest rates.—
Ann Saphir,
Freep.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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India and China are locked in a fierce battle for influence across the Asia-Pacific.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Do rules reflect actual AI usage patterns among teens? Equity Access: Can all students access the same AI tools, or do policies create advantages for families with premium subscriptions?—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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Injuries prompted the 49ers to start a patchwork defensive front, and Geno Smith took advantage from the jump with a play-action pass that found Brock Bowers for a 28-yard gain down the right sideline against safety Ji’Ayir Brown.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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One person would hold the rod and drag ashore a thrashing, 200-pound sawfish.—
Jack Prator,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
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In doing so, the currents drag swimmers out into open waters.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Rafael Devers came up next and yanked an 0-1 fastball up in the zone over the wall in right-center field.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
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Sinner’s serve yanked him out to the left corner of the court.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The alcohol measure was tied to the percentage of residents who reported at least occasional heavy or binge drinking, and this measure also hurt Arizona.—
Russ Wiles,
AZCentral.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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Investigators say the woman driving the Traverse suffered minor injuries, but the drivers of the other two vehicles were not hurt, officials said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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