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

Philips said he’s been able to grow revenue by folding in four additional, smaller businesses, integrating their operations into his factory, and reinvesting heavily in systems rather than pulling cash out for himself. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026

Beyond using high-quality and fresh beans, keeping them whole until just before pulling the espresso is just as important. — Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026

At the end of her emotional post, Kimberly included an old photo of James pulling each of his children into a huge hug. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026

New data is emerging that stress at work is pulling people into the kind of negative feedback loop that feels impossible to escape. — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

The team at Ace did this by creating a seed list of the major state fairs, pulling from World Population Review. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026

Following your daily routine can feel like pulling teeth today. — Usa Today, USA Today, 31 July 2026

The Moon enters practical Capricorn this morning, pulling attention toward structure, responsibility, and the work that needs real support beneath it. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Collector item drops, album release celebrations and meet-and-greets tied to TV shows, films or music artists are pulling fans into stores in ways online orders can’t replicate. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026