PULLING Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

pulling

verb

present participle of pull

as in hauling

to cause to follow by applying steady force on a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in prying

to draw out by force or with effort the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stretching

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure lift the crate carefully, or you'll pull a muscle

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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 The Senate Leadership Fund’s pulling money from North Carolina is the latest signal the Republican Party is giving up hope of holding that Senate seat. — Natalie Allison, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 Timing & Outlook XLU has given back all its Q1 outperformance, pulling back sharply as rising interest rates weighed heavily on rate-sensitive sectors. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 Lightning coach Jon Cooper gave him the opportunity Thursday night by pulling Andrei Vasilevskiy off and on during the third period for an extra attacker. — Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 The spa offers a range of treatments, some like the aromatic Mandi Rempah bath drawing from Balinese history, and others pulling from traditional Chinese medicine or modern practices such as the Signature Bioenergetic Facial Alchemy. — Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026 This all lends itself to a softening market for fashion and apparel — even the most loyal customers are pulling back. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 On top of that, the remaining team members start pulling back. — Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling

Verb

There, the couple’s daughter, Amy Johnson, explained that her parents are fighting their mother’s pancreatic cancer and that the luggage-hauling job is real.

— David K. Li, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026
That's a lot of screen for a vehicle whose primary job is still hauling stuff.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of hauling

Verb

Or two birds face-to-face in close proximity, covering themselves with their wings as if to share a secret kiss away from prying eyes, could evoke a giggle.

— Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Davidson was thrust into a reality-TV world of prying paparazzi and untold media scrutiny.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of prying

Verb

Tyler is having a little fun stretching his ad-libs like TisaKorean.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
At the gym the specialist personal training team is led by Justin Pimm, a former county-level cricketer and tennis player who can give expert advice on stretching, endurance, and muscle-building, using their Technogym equipment.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

But an owners representative claims that part of the problem was Erica and Peter dragging their feet on providing backup documents for their application package.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
Another video shows two men beating and dragging a man into a car.

— Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of dragging

Verb

Zabransky was the first person to reach Rabb in the end zone, yanking him into the air for a bear hug.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026
There’s also an ending that revels in a form of catharsis — for the audience watching the play, not the movie — before yanking that, too, away.

— David Mack, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of yanking

Verb

Some medicines have more than tripled in price, further straining Iranians' finances seven months into the country's war with the United States and Israel.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
The war in Iran has challenged Gulf energy infrastructure, straining exports from key producers and pushing Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to try and find alternate ways to export their crude and LNG.

— Emma Graham, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of straining

Verb

The sweet gallery opens with Rocki tugging at a large wig placed on her head as Rihanna can be heard laughing in the background.

— Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 27 Sep. 2026
WashWise recommends holding the spray 8 to 12 inches away, applying a light mist and smoothing or gently tugging the fabric to release wrinkles.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of tugging

Verb

Refiners turn oil discarded by restaurants and other waste fats into transportation fuel, extracting additional value from crops already grown and oils that have already served their original purpose.

— Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Two oil companies, Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum, are due to begin a joint project extracting from the oilfield within two years.

— Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of extracting

Browse Nearby Words

pull in

pulling

pulling a face

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Style

“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pulling

verb

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