Synonyms of pulling

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

• hauling
• dragging
• tugging
• towing
• drawing
• lugging
• carrying
• heaving
• yanking
• attracting
• haling
• moving
• jerking
• transporting
• conveying
• ferrying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pushing
• driving
• propelling
• shoving
• thrusting

2

as in prying

to draw out by force or with effort

the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prying
• yanking
• extracting
• plucking
• removing
• uprooting
• tearing (out)
• taking (out)
• wringing
• corkscrewing
• rooting (out)
• wresting
• withdrawing
• prizing
• mining

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inserting
• installing
• instilling
• stuffing
• implanting
• jamming
• wedging
• ramming
• cramming

3

as in stretching

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure

lift the crate carefully, or you'll pull a muscle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stretching
• straining
• damaging
• hurting
• weakening
• bruising
• racking
• wrenching
• tearing
• taxing
• impairing
• battering
• harming
• wounding
• crippling
• fraying
• mutilating
• mangling
• laming

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pulling

The key to pulling it off was close collaboration with his department heads and lead actor to make sure James’ arc was clearly mapped out, both visually and emotionally. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026

There were slides, there was a demo everyone loved, and then, a few quarters later, someone stopped pulling the usage numbers and the whole thing faded. — Amirtha Saminathan, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Five months after pulling back from most of its Los Angeles soundstage business, production services company Quixote is selling much of its equipment operation. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Hiding Reinhart’s naturally thick hair under the wigs required multiple steps and lots of pulling. — Jesa Marie Calaor, Allure, 23 Sep. 2026

Additionally, bodycam video from Austin police officers who responded shows officers assisting him out of the vehicle rather than pulling him out, contradicting Goldfinch's claim. — Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Remove any bones by pulling them at a 45 degree angle toward the head with clean tweezers. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026

Later, the Sagittarius Moon squares the Virgo Sun, pulling us between possibility and practicality. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026

The locomotive pulling three tanker cars will support firefighting operations, Cal Fire said. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026