as in withdrawal
an act of moving away especially from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable
the pullback was necessary so that the commanders could reorganize their units and reassess the situation
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Recent Examples of pullback
Meanwhile, new grant awards from NIH to academic labs fell by some 24% in 2025, a pullback that could slow down medical discoveries in the US.
—
Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
Declining electric vehicle sales caused US clean investment to experience its largest quarterly drop in nearly a decade, part of a larger pullback caused by the elimination of Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 19 Feb. 2026
That pullback did little to change the broader picture.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Rubio’s speech comes as US allies have increasingly grown concerned and questioned whether the country intends to abandon its partnership with Europe due to Trump’s threats of retaliatory tariffs, bid to take over Greenland and pullback of international aid.
—Zachary Cohen, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pullback
Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
Declining electric vehicle sales caused US clean investment to experience its largest quarterly drop in nearly a decade, part of a larger pullback caused by the elimination of Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 19 Feb. 2026
That pullback did little to change the broader picture.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Rubio’s speech comes as US allies have increasingly grown concerned and questioned whether the country intends to abandon its partnership with Europe due to Trump’s threats of retaliatory tariffs, bid to take over Greenland and pullback of international aid.
—Zachary Cohen, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pullback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pullback
Noun
-
These include strong, sometimes uncontrollable urges and withdrawal to qualify as addiction.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
There's no upfront tax break for after-tax contributions, but earnings are subject to taxes upon withdrawal.—
Jessica Dickler,Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Multiyear renovations at the famous ocean-front retreat, together with a desire for a larger, more modern venue, prompted the switch.—
Howard Walker,
Robb Report,
17 Feb. 2026
-
On the upper level, the primary suite is treated as a retreat within the retreat.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pullback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pullback. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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