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
The film is incredibly, even magnificently, stylish, but beyond its initial presentation, there just isn’t very much guiding the story in any novel or exciting ways — beyond, perhaps, thematic echoes of how the less prim-and-proper tech bros of today might be pulling a fast one too.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026
Heimuli rebounded from the loss to Kouokam to beat Jessica Pyatt of El Paso Pebble Hills in a consolation semifinal, pulling Pyatt down with 15 seconds left in the second period and getting a pint five seconds later.
—Rick Kretzschmar, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
Netanyahu filed court documents arguing that the severity of the crimes, along with payments the men reportedly received from a Palestinian Authority fund, justify pulling their citizenship and expelling them from the Jewish State.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
With that indelible Southern gift for pulling new lingo from thin air, the duo deploy yawns that stretch like bungee over Zaytoven-type keys.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
From embracing bootleggers to pulling its catalog from Spotify, Mackenzie explains how the band has tried to protect its creative core while the industry transforms around it.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
After that setback, the Seahawks lost their edge to stay ahead of a league designed to keep pulling teams toward the middle.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Yet the final also required Vonn to push her knee further than in either of her two training runs, when she could be seen pulling back around some turns so as not to exert too much strain before the main event.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Three men were rescued from Jamaica Bay after falling through the ice Friday, with NYPD scuba divers pulling them from the water and police helicopter pilots then flying them to safety, cops said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026
Heimuli rebounded from the loss to Kouokam to beat Jessica Pyatt of El Paso Pebble Hills in a consolation semifinal, pulling Pyatt down with 15 seconds left in the second period and getting a pint five seconds later.
—Rick Kretzschmar, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
Netanyahu filed court documents arguing that the severity of the crimes, along with payments the men reportedly received from a Palestinian Authority fund, justify pulling their citizenship and expelling them from the Jewish State.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
With that indelible Southern gift for pulling new lingo from thin air, the duo deploy yawns that stretch like bungee over Zaytoven-type keys.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
From embracing bootleggers to pulling its catalog from Spotify, Mackenzie explains how the band has tried to protect its creative core while the industry transforms around it.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
After that setback, the Seahawks lost their edge to stay ahead of a league designed to keep pulling teams toward the middle.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Yet the final also required Vonn to push her knee further than in either of her two training runs, when she could be seen pulling back around some turns so as not to exert too much strain before the main event.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Three men were rescued from Jamaica Bay after falling through the ice Friday, with NYPD scuba divers pulling them from the water and police helicopter pilots then flying them to safety, cops said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
Verb
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The wreck has been confirmed to be that of the Clough, a stone-hauling sailing vessel that was built in Ohio in 1867 and sank a year later, according to the museum.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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One of the vehicles was a pickup hauling a livestock trailer, which was carrying 30 sheep and one goat, according to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, which was called to help.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But pull her away from the TV cameras, photographers and the prying eyes of the world, and her sarcastic-bordering-on-vulgar sense of humor bubbles to the surface.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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But pull her away from the TV cameras, photographers and the prying eyes of the world, and her sarcastic-bordering-on-vulgar sense of humor bubbles to the surface.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Leveleve Balcony Furniture 5-Piece Patio Conversation Set For truly stretching out and relaxing, this five-piece set includes two chairs with extendable footrests for reclining—then the footrest tuck neatly underneath the chairs when not in use.—
Melanie Fincher,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
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The site-specific Parcours section, stretching along Basel’s Clarastrasse, will be organized for the third year in a row by Stefanie Hessler, director of the Swiss Institute, New York, and will take as its theme the concept of conviviality.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Negotiators are showing few signs of backing down from their demands, and there’s little holding back talks from dragging on for the foreseeable future.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
17 Feb. 2026
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Eliza was eventually turned over to a bounty hunter, who, along with her original enslaver, went to Chicago and captured her, apparently dragging her down Adams Street, Krupa said.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hotel video footage showed the pair forcing entry into the hotel by yanking on a lobby door and breaking the lock.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
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The yellow bucket of a heavy construction excavator crashed down onto the roof of the vacant home at Parade Park, yanking it into a heap of split plaster and lumber.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Over development is straining the water supply.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Here is Kyle yelling so hard at Dorit that her veins are straining against her Botox.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Favorite moment of Games The Olympics are full of heart-tugging moments but none were better than Elana Meyers Taylor standing on the podium after winning the gold medal in women’s monobob.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Now, another hoax is tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Microbes could be the future space miners, helping humans survive on long-term missions by extracting mineral resources from extraterrestrial rocks.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
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Opening up new mining operations would be in keeping with the founding directive of the Forest Service, which mandates the balance of protecting resources and extracting them.—
Lauren Steele,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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