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
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 pulling
The beast screamed and flew away, pulling an attached anchor into the water.
—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, Swift remains scientifically valuable, but atmospheric drag has been pulling it dangerously close to Earth.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
One is about civic commonality, the other about authoritarian cynicism; one is about a city pulling together around a common pleasure, the other about desecrating the decorum of democracy.
—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
So Ngoy reached out and grabbed the Iranian by the shirt, pulling him to the ground and earning a red card for his trouble, leaving Belgium to play the final half-hour down a man.
—
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
The performance prompted manager Marcelo Bielsa to make halftime changes, which included pulling former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez early.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
The victim tried to defend himself, pulling a sharp object from his bag, police said.
—
Dylan Olsen,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
There’s a lot of repairing and resolution that needs to happen in this final episode, but luckily things start strong with Liz and Jo-Ellen pulling each other aside to talk things through on the beach.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
But Hong Kong has a way of pulling people back.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, Swift remains scientifically valuable, but atmospheric drag has been pulling it dangerously close to Earth.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
One is about civic commonality, the other about authoritarian cynicism; one is about a city pulling together around a common pleasure, the other about desecrating the decorum of democracy.
—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
So Ngoy reached out and grabbed the Iranian by the shirt, pulling him to the ground and earning a red card for his trouble, leaving Belgium to play the final half-hour down a man.
—
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
The performance prompted manager Marcelo Bielsa to make halftime changes, which included pulling former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez early.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
The victim tried to defend himself, pulling a sharp object from his bag, police said.
—
Dylan Olsen,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
There’s a lot of repairing and resolution that needs to happen in this final episode, but luckily things start strong with Liz and Jo-Ellen pulling each other aside to talk things through on the beach.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
But Hong Kong has a way of pulling people back.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
Verb
-
Alternative disposal methods such as chipping or hauling landscape debris to a green waste facility can help reduce fire risk without open burning.
-
The Indians had been hauling timber with him.
Verb
-
Not with these linen panels that Malek Barney recommends—the thicker fabric strikes that Goldilocks balance between privacy and natural light, letting sunlight gently filter through while still shielding your space from prying eyes.
-
The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
Verb
-
What foundation needs your attention before stretching?
-
October 23 – November 21 What foundation needs your attention before stretching?
Verb
-
Yet the latest round of fighting has underscored the group’s resilience, dragging Lebanon into a regional war and drawing the Israeli military back to a familiar southern Lebanon terrain.
-
According to the criminal complaint, the boy told police Diggs began choking him before dragging him into the nearby alley.
Verb
-
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
-
Counsell admitted postgame that yanking Imanaga might not have been the right move.
Verb
-
The 2026 World Cup is straining public services in 16 host cities with unprecedented crowd surges and emergency demands, including a 350% spike in calls, many from non-English speakers.
-
Problem properties can create economic and fiscal challenges, including depressing neighboring property values, straining fire and police resources and increasing the risk of arson and violent crime.
Verb
-
He is seen in the video grabbing and tugging on her to prevent her from leaving.
-
Vinicus followed up his stunning early strike with a series of nagging runs, tugging the Panamanians’ back line into awkward shapes.
Verb
-
Designed for all ages, the fair features activities and games rooted in science, technology, engineering, and math—from discovering native plants to extracting DNA from apricots and exploring robotics.
-
The agreement appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return.
Cite this Entry
“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
