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 untethered AUVs hover above the seabed instead of dragging equipment across it, reducing sediment disturbance and limiting ecosystem disruption.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
  • Centre-back Chadi Riad flicks the outswinging corner across goal, with his team-mates’ runs dragging Haiti’s defence forward.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of dragging
Verb
  • 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
  • Video also showed the man climbing onto the roof of the car and yanking pieces of the LiDAR sensor that sits on the roof of Waymo cars and helps the vehicles map and navigate.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pulling

Nglish: Translation of pulling for Spanish Speakers

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