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
At a union hall in San Diego last November, Gavin Newsom—the tall, coiffed governor of California, and, since last year, one of the Democrats’ best hopes for pulling together a shattered country—stood to one side in white shirtsleeves and waited for his turn to address the crowd.
—
Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Wagner wasn’t as fortunate with his 7-iron shot, pulling it left into the rough (and scuffing the bottom of his club).
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Attendance was low, and the church was considering pulling the plug.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
Video shows the girl carefully pulling a coaster from the tower before the entire structure cascades downward in seconds, prompting audible reactions from spectators.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Think about pulling the dumbbell toward your belly button, with your elbows close to your sides.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
Start at the tips where the snow weight is pulling them down.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
The ingredient list is also rather straightforward, so one stop at the Pig or Publix should do the trick to pulling this recipe together.
—Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2026
The young man accused of pulling the trigger, 18-year-old Jeferzon Mendoza, was arrested Thursday on a first-degree murder charge.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Wagner wasn’t as fortunate with his 7-iron shot, pulling it left into the rough (and scuffing the bottom of his club).
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Attendance was low, and the church was considering pulling the plug.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
Video shows the girl carefully pulling a coaster from the tower before the entire structure cascades downward in seconds, prompting audible reactions from spectators.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Think about pulling the dumbbell toward your belly button, with your elbows close to your sides.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
Start at the tips where the snow weight is pulling them down.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
The ingredient list is also rather straightforward, so one stop at the Pig or Publix should do the trick to pulling this recipe together.
—Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2026
The young man accused of pulling the trigger, 18-year-old Jeferzon Mendoza, was arrested Thursday on a first-degree murder charge.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
Verb
-
At 14 years old, Warsh worked setting up kegs and hauling ice at the Saratoga, New York, racetrack before later earning a promotion selling programs and pencils to bettors streaming through the gates.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The truck was hauling liquid acid, the city said in a statement.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And rather than Christians leavening the secular right-wing movements, those movements are prying Christianity further and further away from the ethic and teachings of Jesus.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Given the material of choice, this pick could also serve as a multi-tool of sorts as well, with examples on the campaign page including prying open a tricky soda can or a quick screw tightening.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Giaccio also incorporates stretching and foam rolling into her recovery process.—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
On a typical $50,000 new-car loan with a $10,000 down payment and 8% APR, stretching financing from 48 months to 84 months can add nearly $5,500 in extra interest over the life of the loan.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Israel had repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its feet in the recovery of the final hostage.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Israel had repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its feet in the recovery of Gvili’s remains.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump did not take kindly to those remarks, responding with threats in Davos before yanking the Board of Peace invitation.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Discouraged home sellers are yanking the for-sale signs out of their front yards.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hold the bridge 3 to 4 inches off the floor — just high enough to avoid arching or straining your lower back.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
There’s a car chase through the countryside that’s all straining steel and revving engines and a sequence in a London nightclub — every action movie apparently needs one — that shows off close-quarter murder beautifully choreographed as clueless dancers sway.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This could get strange, with punk, metal, pop, and rock factions tugging in multiple directions.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
-
To keep little ones comfortable—and prevent them from tugging on the wires or moving too much—researchers had babies sit on a parent’s lap and provided toys to keep their hands busy.—
Clarissa Brincat,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Strip off the hard outer skin and chew the woody pith, extracting its sweetness before spitting it out.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Clough had a knack of reviving the fortunes of waifs and strays; of extracting every ounce of talent from players.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
