1
as in hauling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prying
to draw out by force or with effort
the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stretching
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
lift the crate carefully, or you'll pull a muscle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pulling
As his career skyrocketed, Chalamet spent years quietly training — aided by an expert on the sport, Diego Schaaf — by pulling a table-tennis setup along to productions ranging from Dune to Wonka.
—
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Notre Dame didn’t mess around in pulling all that material together, looking like a program with a plan before the portal opened.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Pete Golding was installed as the new head coach and won two playoff games, but several members of the Rebels’ offensive staff have been pulling double-duty.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
Further complicating matters, Scanlon said, pulling back Medicaid spending would be a huge mistake.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
Then, on July 26, the North Node enters Aquarius while the South Node moves into Leo, pulling you toward personal growth and away from relationships that require you to shrink or perform.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
The Kingpins team has heard about some large retailers and brands pulling back from sustainability efforts.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
Ottawa had a goal called back for goaltender interference and, despite pulling Shepard with more than three minutes remaining, could not complete the comeback.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Outside of his ’fits, one of Lyles’ other attention-grabbing moves is pulling Yu-Gi-Oh!
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Notre Dame didn’t mess around in pulling all that material together, looking like a program with a plan before the portal opened.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Pete Golding was installed as the new head coach and won two playoff games, but several members of the Rebels’ offensive staff have been pulling double-duty.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
Further complicating matters, Scanlon said, pulling back Medicaid spending would be a huge mistake.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
Then, on July 26, the North Node enters Aquarius while the South Node moves into Leo, pulling you toward personal growth and away from relationships that require you to shrink or perform.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
The Kingpins team has heard about some large retailers and brands pulling back from sustainability efforts.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
Ottawa had a goal called back for goaltender interference and, despite pulling Shepard with more than three minutes remaining, could not complete the comeback.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Outside of his ’fits, one of Lyles’ other attention-grabbing moves is pulling Yu-Gi-Oh!
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
Verb
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How to Get Around Though Bonaire is easy to explore by car, most visitors will probably want to pick up a truck or SUV when grabbing their rental at the airport; this type of vehicle is better for hauling dive gear or for driving down some of the island's rougher roads to reach remote beaches.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Jan. 2026
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Olivia pays $220 a month for compost hauling by Scraps Mile High, the company Turner started eight years ago and one of nine licensed haulers listed by the city on its website.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Surveillance video shows two suspects arriving in a car, getting out with crowbars, and prying open the restaurant's front door.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
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Water that seeps into small cracks or gaps around homes can freeze and expand, slowly prying open concrete, damaging driveways, sidewalks, and steps, and even compromising foundations.—
Brendel Clark,
Freep.com,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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He was first elected to the House in 1992, and now represents an inland district stretching from the southern Riverside suburbs to Palm Springs.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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Without stretching their budget, travelers can enjoy 22 miles of pristine coastline or cross the bridge to hop on a shuttle with Explore Jax Core Tours, where the city’s history, culture, and future unfold through vivid storytelling and physical representation.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Kerra, the dog referenced in the video, had developed a grapefruit-sized mass on her breast tissue that was dragging on the ground and causing significant discomfort.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That takes nothing away, though, from the epic job Herbert did dragging the Chargers through the second half of the season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
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Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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With belt-cinching streamers straining to do more with less, sloppy vibe calibration has become a common problem.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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Even in states like Texas, which opted not to expand its Medicaid program and continued to rely on counties to care for many of its uninsured, rising health care costs are straining local budgets.—
KFF Health News,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.—
Robert T.F. Downes,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026
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No more crying tots – or well-meaning helper elves – tugging on their long white beards and hemlines.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
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While heavy crude oil is what is predominantly being drilled for today, its viscous consistency and high levels of metals and sulfur mean extracting and refining this product is significantly more costly than its light crude counterpart.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
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To achieve the effect of Alma extracting the worm from Elvira’s mouth, Foldberg and his team created several silicone worm pieces and then fed them through a contraption attached to the side of Myren’s face.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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