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
Rodriguez was seen on camera sitting behind the boy and pulling his arms behind his back causing his shoulders to flare out, police say.
—
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Last week, the archdiocese accused CPS of abruptly pulling the funding from only Catholic schools before the school year ended, even questioning if the district had mismanaged money and if the district was targeting their religious schools.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
If this trend continues, by trading away his upcoming first-rounders, Pagliocca risked pulling the Sky out of contention for either Watkins or Strong.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Rather than pulling from a generic product database, Shopping mode surfaces ideas from creators and communities already active on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
David Lowery was pulling double duty.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
Dorsey, who also founded Bluesky and Twitter (acquired by Elon Musk and renamed to X), is pulling back the curtain on a major layoff decision that hit a tipping point last December.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Just like Hailey Bieber—who opted for a ’90s-era, yellow and pink-trimmed Dior slip—Jenner had her fun with pulling festival-ready archive fashion.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2026
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Last week, the archdiocese accused CPS of abruptly pulling the funding from only Catholic schools before the school year ended, even questioning if the district had mismanaged money and if the district was targeting their religious schools.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
If this trend continues, by trading away his upcoming first-rounders, Pagliocca risked pulling the Sky out of contention for either Watkins or Strong.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Rather than pulling from a generic product database, Shopping mode surfaces ideas from creators and communities already active on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
David Lowery was pulling double duty.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
Dorsey, who also founded Bluesky and Twitter (acquired by Elon Musk and renamed to X), is pulling back the curtain on a major layoff decision that hit a tipping point last December.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Just like Hailey Bieber—who opted for a ’90s-era, yellow and pink-trimmed Dior slip—Jenner had her fun with pulling festival-ready archive fashion.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
Verb
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The Russian freighter, known as Progress 95, is hauling about 3 tons of food, propellant and other supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Literally hauling the extra weight of the wiring harness around, not giving the customer any benefit.—
Jamie Lincoln Kitman,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Most locks resist common workarounds, such as sawing, hammering or prying with a crowbar.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
But will prying eyes across the interwebs ever learn the whole story?—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Reznik said while the San Gabriel River system and adjacent spreading grounds, stretching from Irwindale to Long Beach, work exceptionally well, capturing 90% of the local runoff that percolates into underground basins for later use, that’s not true of some other waterways in the county.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Completed in 1981 but recently updated, the five-bedroom, four-bath dwelling comes with white oak hardwood floors, wood-beam ceilings, wide arched doorways, and oversized picture windows overlooking bicoastal views stretching from Moloka’i to Lana’i.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a four-game span, the Philadelphia 76ers star received a technical foul for shoving Donte DiVincenzo, and flagrant fouls for dragging Mitchell Robinson to the floor and swiping Brunson in the head.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Throughout Orbán’s re-election campaign, the media controlled by his governing Fidesz party depicted Magyar as a reckless enemy of peace, bent on dragging Hungary into the war in neighboring Ukraine.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Supporters in labor unions and in the House soon began yanking their endorsements.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra believed Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball should have been ejected after yanking on star center Bam Adebayo’s foot, causing an injury to his lower back.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This practice reduces straining and prevents waste from lingering, which helps sustain your microbiome health.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Iran internet blackout enters 46th day, straining economy Web traffic in the country is around 1% of prewar levels; Starlink is blocked using military-grade jamming, Tom’s Hardware reported, and possession of a terminal is a crime anyway.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Having the peace of mind that your top won’t distract you by shifting or tugging makes bodysuits a worthwhile office attire investment.—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
12 Apr. 2026
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The nylon fabric is structured but not stiff, with enough stretch to handle a scramble without tugging at your knees.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Phalaborwa project aims to start extracting rare earths from the two huge dunes in 2028.—
Michelle Gumede,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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Authorities arrested Atajurt’s founder Serikzhan Bilash in 2019, releasing him into exile after extracting a promise not to engage in political activities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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