pulling

verb

present participle of pull
1
as in hauling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, a former right back who played alongside Messi in the 2006 World Cup, solved that problem by moving Messi to right wing, tweaking formations and pulling from a bench superior to England’s. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026 By July 11, Taco Bell had begun pulling some ingredients, including lettuce and cilantro, from some Michigan restaurants. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 19 July 2026 The sisters’ collective upper limb development also suggests high-intensity, repetitive actions like holding a heavy weapon or pulling a bowstring. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 17 July 2026 Cooling towers, used for refrigeration and general building cooling, expel building heat into the atmosphere by pulling outside air through warm water from a central chiller that gets sprayed over a fill material. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 The halo wheels enable scrolling, pushing, pulling, and tilting, designed to keep drivers' eyes on the road. — Greg Migliore, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Haaland’s winning goal came after another bout of yanking and pulling; the striker tried to free himself by slapping the defender’s arm away, eventually just carrying on regardless. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026 Not one to turn down a potential sign of good luck, Neto started pulling cards. — Liana Handler follow, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 After pulling Ohtani as a pitcher after six innings, Roberts pinch-hit for him later in that seventh inning. — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 4 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
  1. hauling
  2. prying
  3. stretching
  4. dragging
  5. yanking
  6. straining
  7. tugging
  8. extracting
Verb
  • The Falcon 9's upper stage continued hauling the 21 satellites to LEO.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 July 2026
  • The rocket, which is capable of hauling 16,000 kilograms into low-Earth orbit, is a commercial variant of the Long March 10A vehicle.
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 10 July 2026
Definition of hauling
Verb
  • These evergreen or deciduous shrubs protect your garden oasis from prying eyes and create a sense of solitude.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
  • The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
Definition of prying
Verb
  • In the eastern Indian Ocean, south of Java in the vast sea stretching toward Australia, a fishing vessel slightly alters its course while operating near the boundary of its authorized fishing ground.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026
  • Native to waters stretching from Russia's Sakhalin Islands through Japan and southern China, Manila clams have spread around the world through both accidental and intentional introductions.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of stretching
Verb
  • The European Space Agency’s ClearSpace-1, planned for 2029, tackles the harder case by capturing the unprepared, noncooperative Proba-1 satellite and dragging it down to burn up.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • Lebanon's top political leadership criticized Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war, but also condemned Israel for its widespread bombing and ground invasion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of dragging
Verb
  • The tentacular Scylla is seen briefly but makes an impact, yanking sailors off Odysseus’s ship in a series of loud jump scares.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026
  • Pinned beneath her rotting legs in his recliner chair, Loftis narrowly escapes by yanking its lever, catapulting the hag over his head.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of yanking
Verb
  • Dollar Tree quietly stocks shelf-stable protein shakes, protein bars and cheese sticks that can round out a breakfast or refuel a busy afternoon without straining a tight budget.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 16, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • The export strength, however, is straining ties with trade partners.
    — Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of straining
Verb
  • Prying policy specifics from a political candidate often is like tugging a bone from a bulldog.
    — George F. Will, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
  • Jude, meanwhile, was shifting from tossing cones to tugging at his ears, afflicted with the same malady that had landed several of the toddlers on the room’s version of the injury list.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of tugging
Verb
  • Scientists are cracking the code for extracting useful molecules from substances designed to harm.
    — Steve Midway, STAT, 16 July 2026
  • Lionel Scaloni found a way to both protect a player who is physically years beyond his prime while also extracting the maximum influence from him.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of extracting

Browse Nearby Words

pull in
pulling
pulling a face
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Cite this Entry

“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pulling for Spanish Speakers

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