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
Finn Balor is particularly upset with Mysterio for not pulling his weight within the faction.
—
Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
In a video shared by the department, Sandy could be heard screaming as officers carried out their rescue operation by pulling her collar.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
When crew members intervened, prosecutors said, Usiripalli raised his hand in the shape of a gun, placed his fingers in his mouth, and mimed pulling the trigger.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
This means pulling together data from a customer’s website visits, social media engagement and in-store purchases to create a cohesive profile.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Otherwise, why bother pulling one off the shelf?
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
In contrast, the G1’s car-pulling display seems visually impressive, but raises questions about how far such stunts translate into meaningful, real-world robotic performance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
That rhetoric could result in some federal workers pulling back their spending habits, which could impact some of the businesses that those workers frequent.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
In addition to pulling from his own immense catalog spanning 30 years, Chesney also welcomed several guests during his run.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
In a video shared by the department, Sandy could be heard screaming as officers carried out their rescue operation by pulling her collar.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
When crew members intervened, prosecutors said, Usiripalli raised his hand in the shape of a gun, placed his fingers in his mouth, and mimed pulling the trigger.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
This means pulling together data from a customer’s website visits, social media engagement and in-store purchases to create a cohesive profile.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Otherwise, why bother pulling one off the shelf?
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
In contrast, the G1’s car-pulling display seems visually impressive, but raises questions about how far such stunts translate into meaningful, real-world robotic performance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
That rhetoric could result in some federal workers pulling back their spending habits, which could impact some of the businesses that those workers frequent.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
In addition to pulling from his own immense catalog spanning 30 years, Chesney also welcomed several guests during his run.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
Verb
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The rocket's upper stage, meanwhile, continued hauling the 28 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO), where they will be deployed about an hour after launch.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
28 Oct. 2025
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Capable of spraying, towing, lifting via a CAT 1 3-point system, and hauling, the Max is built to handle tough terrain and heavy loads across orchards, bedded and row crops, and beyond.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to police, the burglaries were committed with a prying tool, which was used to gain access to businesses after hours.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
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Despite increasingly menacing warnings to back off and stop prying into the lives of rich power players thorny about their privacy, Lo remains determined to get to the truth.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
By the end of the game, hundreds of shirtless brethren had joined in on the revelry, stretching across four sections and making headlines.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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At the absolute minimum, Prince Andrew and others in Epstein’s orbit showed a pathological incuriosity about the young girls who surrounded him—and that is stretching good faith to its very limit.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The kitten was discovered in a parking lot tied inside a bag, dragging his back legs and covered in severe wounds.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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When daylight savings ends next week, dragging yourself out of bed will likely feel even harder.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In both cases, as the danger was spreading through the waters of the Florida reefs, scientists were busily yanking surviving corals out of the water and saving them in aquariums across the state.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
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Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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More than 150,000 new Rohingya refugees have arrived in the camps in the past two years, UNHCR says, straining the tight resources.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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One hour becomes two, two become three, my mind straining for answers in the blackness.—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When you’re done, simply pop open the large dustbin and empty debris directly into the trash—no tugging out tangled hair or gunk required.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
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Concurrently, the events leading to Sutton’s death keep tugging at the edges of his mind.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This involves using a needle introduced into the growth and extracting a few cells and then examining those cells.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
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The key to extracting maximum possible power from this process is the membrane.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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