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
Over and over, the department has used the threat of pulling federal funding to force compliance with new directives and rapid shifts in policy.
—
Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
After pulling her daughter out of public school, Thompson enrolled Meadow in Fortune Academy and eventually became its director of development.
—Tory Basile, IndyStar, 7 Oct. 2025
Many sellers are now pulling listings.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The video shows the Nissan at points pulling alongside the Tahoe and veering into an oncoming lane, with the GMC close behind.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Yang asked her, pulling back a velvet curtain to reveal a plexiglass tray of sod on a white pedestal.
—Charlotte Goddu, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Ridley Scott, a filmmaker not known for pulling his punches, has issued a withering assessment on the health of Hollywood output right now.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Shepp announced that Veal earned the rare Girl Scout Saving Award, an accolade reserved for monumental acts of bravery; Veal, along with her mother, helped save the life of a Sand City Beach fisherman who lost his footing and collapsed, pulling him ashore.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
The profile image on the chat features a behind-the-scenes snapshot of Bailey with his on-screen brothers Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton) and Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton) pulling silly faces.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
After pulling her daughter out of public school, Thompson enrolled Meadow in Fortune Academy and eventually became its director of development.
—Tory Basile, IndyStar, 7 Oct. 2025
Many sellers are now pulling listings.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The video shows the Nissan at points pulling alongside the Tahoe and veering into an oncoming lane, with the GMC close behind.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Yang asked her, pulling back a velvet curtain to reveal a plexiglass tray of sod on a white pedestal.
—Charlotte Goddu, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Ridley Scott, a filmmaker not known for pulling his punches, has issued a withering assessment on the health of Hollywood output right now.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Shepp announced that Veal earned the rare Girl Scout Saving Award, an accolade reserved for monumental acts of bravery; Veal, along with her mother, helped save the life of a Sand City Beach fisherman who lost his footing and collapsed, pulling him ashore.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
The profile image on the chat features a behind-the-scenes snapshot of Bailey with his on-screen brothers Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton) and Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton) pulling silly faces.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling
Verb
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View gallery - 4 images Belgium's Bike43 has revealed a nifty cargo ebike that can grow as your family or hauling needs change.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Oct. 2025
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That included branding civil rights advocacy and speech defamatory, a breach of the peace, or hate speech, and hauling activists into courts and jails.—
Time,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to Alixandra, who didn't share her surname, Sparrow masterminded her own midnight feast by toppling the feeder and prying off the lid.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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This is about creating a childhood away from prying eyes, giving his children the space and support to enjoy being children without a care in the world.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The third-year QB injured himself while doing work with a stretching band, Colts coach Shane Steichen said after the game.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Indonesia, for example, sits at the intersection of the Ring of Fire and the Alpide belt—a separate east-west volcanic zone stretching through southern Asia and Europe.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The move ended with Gravenberch dragging the Galatasaray forward down outside the box and receiving a yellow card.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Last week in Chicago, federal agents descended in a Blackhawk to clear out an entire apt complex, dragging children out of their beds and zip-tying residents for hours without articulating any probable cause.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, she was momentarily stopped when one concert goer grabbed her, violently yanking her backwards and into the barricade.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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Neil Young is yanking his music from Amazon, the rock star announced this week.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rivers and lakes are shrinking, groundwater is rapidly depleting, and prolonged drought is straining both agriculture and urban areas.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, shipments hidden in commercial freighters continue to reach Europe, though payments from those transactions take months to arrive, straining regime liquidity.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Guardiola was agitated that Van Hecke went to ground inside his own penalty area in a shirt-tugging duel with Erling Haaland.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Stylists crouch just out of frame, tugging seams, swapping earrings, brushing stray hairs from her face, while publicists hover nearby.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Democrats, still reeling from drawing widespread criticism for helping Republicans avoid a shutdown in March, appeared committed this time to not give in without extracting concessions on health care and other priorities.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
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While cracks and surface defects caused by traffic and environmental stress are easy to spot, detecting micro-cracks and damage in the lower layers still requires drilling and extracting core samples.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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