1
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
a powerful storm pulled down the old fishing shack, which had been immortalized in countless paintings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolishing
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
an ugly billboard that was eventually pulled down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in earning
to receive as return for effort
he's pulling down six figures at that job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pulling down
Weiss began pulling down as much as $150,000 per engagement, a point of contention in the pro-Israel space, where advocates give speeches for free.
—
Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Many airlines are pulling down their operations at Newark, Bastian said, which reduces some of the congestion at the airport.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Everybody along the defensive line shows up, and the edge players do a nice job of coming in and pulling down running backs from behind before they can be pushed through the pile.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
In that instance, offensive guard Daniel Brunskill missed on a block of Bills defensive lineman Deone Walker that sped up Tagovailoa’s throw to Jaylen Waddle, which linebacker Terrel Bernard stepped in front of, pulling down a turnover in the game’s final three minutes while Miami trailed 28-21.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
However, where iOS 7 applied a flatter, minimalist effect to windows and icons and their edges, iOS 26 adds a (sometimes frosted) glassy look and a mildly fluid movement to actions such as pulling down menus or long-pressing controls.
—ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
An impact player on both sides of the ball from Day 1, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound all-state pick is back for a third varsity letter after reeling in 37 balls for 674 yards on offense and pulling down two more passes for picks on defense.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025
Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Many airlines are pulling down their operations at Newark, Bastian said, which reduces some of the congestion at the airport.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Everybody along the defensive line shows up, and the edge players do a nice job of coming in and pulling down running backs from behind before they can be pushed through the pile.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
In that instance, offensive guard Daniel Brunskill missed on a block of Bills defensive lineman Deone Walker that sped up Tagovailoa’s throw to Jaylen Waddle, which linebacker Terrel Bernard stepped in front of, pulling down a turnover in the game’s final three minutes while Miami trailed 28-21.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
However, where iOS 7 applied a flatter, minimalist effect to windows and icons and their edges, iOS 26 adds a (sometimes frosted) glassy look and a mildly fluid movement to actions such as pulling down menus or long-pressing controls.
—ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
An impact player on both sides of the ball from Day 1, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound all-state pick is back for a third varsity letter after reeling in 37 balls for 674 yards on offense and pulling down two more passes for picks on defense.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling down
Verb
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And candidates who stoked fear in voters — with the threat of towering multi-family complexes destroying their communities or costly local infrastructure projects driving up taxes — lost by clear margins.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
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Derek Lopez, 27, was fired from his role at the university after he was caught on camera destroying a Turning Point display.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The military showed us a map of Hamas tunnel routes Israeli forces are still discovering and demolishing in the area.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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Most recently, crews began demolishing the East Wing of the White House.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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My daughter and son earning advanced degrees from LSU and a third who began his career working at the university.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Many outlets began operating independently, earning revenue through advertising.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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The video then shows the man asking if the situation was ruining Kaleel's Christmas.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One video showing people tearing down a billboard image of Maduro dates as far back as July 2024.—
Lauren Fichten,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
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In fact, Williams took great pains to establish that his primary objective is building the Terps (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten), not tearing down a 21-year-old prospect, the Bears or the sport’s governing body.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The title-winning standard has been lower in recent years; City won it with 86, 93, 89 and 91 points between 2020-21 and 2023-24 and Liverpool with 84 points last season, but some of those totals give a false impression.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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Get tech-smarter on your schedule Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.—
The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
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Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Advertisement Geerlings-Simons is hopeful, however, that Indigenous people who live in and rely on forests might serve as an example for how to manage natural resources while still reaping economic benefits.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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That steady push of Ralph Lauren into the consumer consciousness is reaping other rewards and more exposure.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pulling down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20down. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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