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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pullback
It’s been a rough year for American jobseekers amid the shakeup caused by tariffs, a pullback in foreign tourism and the rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
About two dozen current and former Food and Drug Administration officials blame the pullback on deep staffing cuts under the Trump administration.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025
The irony is that this pullback will likely arrive just as commentators begin insisting that there is no bubble at all—that the current valuation environment is simply the new normal.
—Jessica Billingsley, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2025
Advances, pullbacks, recessions, and recoveries are not evidence of a system breaking but of a system working.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pullback
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
About two dozen current and former Food and Drug Administration officials blame the pullback on deep staffing cuts under the Trump administration.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025
The irony is that this pullback will likely arrive just as commentators begin insisting that there is no bubble at all—that the current valuation environment is simply the new normal.
—Jessica Billingsley, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2025
Advances, pullbacks, recessions, and recoveries are not evidence of a system breaking but of a system working.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pullback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pullback
Noun
-
Lines died from drug withdrawal in the Las Colinas women’s jail in May, a day after her arrest.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Reiner family released a statement to PEOPLE following Jackson's withdrawal.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The retreat sparked criticism from other Democrats and spurred the filing of more than a dozen ethics complaints against Opportunity Caucus members.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Whether the call with Phillips 66 played a role in California’s retreat from its refinery profit cap and broader pivot on oil is impossible to determine from the calendars alone.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pullback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pullback. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
