PULLING AWAY Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

pulling away

verb

present participle of pull away

as in detaching

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling away

Verb

Orion and the Artemis III crew will stay docked with Starship for about a day before detaching to begin preparations for their return to Earth.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 20 July 2026
Clean the Mouthpiece, Straw, and Lid After detaching the straw, use a straw cleaning brush or a pipe cleaner to thoroughly scrub it with a mild detergent.

— Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026

Definition of detaching

Verb

In reality, Loesby contends, many struggles reflect predictable structural mismatches — a lawyer who prefers depth and analysis struggling in a role that rewards constant responsiveness, or one who thrives on collaboration disengaging in isolation.

— Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Tolerating Chinese regional hegemony would throw East Asian allies under the bus, and disengaging from the Middle East would leave Israel to fend for itself.

— Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disengaging

Verb

Grichuk put a good swing on a slider while flying out to left field.

— LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
It was later revealed that the plane had been overloaded by 700 pounds and the pilot, who had cocaine and alcohol in his system, was not authorized to be flying, according to CBS.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of flying

Verb

Cutting Iran off completely from the UAE could deal a serious blow to the Islamic Republic’s economy — but experts say disentangling the pair’s commercial ties could prove difficult.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
New characters and backstory details are dropped in before existing loose ends are tied up, resulting in unclear motivations and convoluted layers of subplot that, ultimately, do not prove relevant enough to have been worth disentangling.

— Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of disentangling

Verb

Survivors find shelter in Kathmandu Some flood survivors are fleeing the devastation to seek shelter in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

— Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
In past months, he has been charged with second-degree kidnapping, fleeing elude police, firearm charges and assault charges.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of fleeing

Verb

Since then, Hochman has been slammed for playing politics, embarrassing his office and even backing down for no reason other than the pressure was too intense.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Jelly Roll isn’t backing down from making jokes at the president’s expense, with the country star once again taking aim at Donald Trump‘s physique during his guest-hosting stint on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of backing down

Verb

Advanced robotics and a rapid rollout of AI should counter the shrinking workforce, while creating enough new jobs to keep youth disaffection at bay.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
At the same time, the world’s glaciers are shrinking because of the warming planet.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of shrinking

Verb

The Value Of Clarity Clarity is the ability to answer three questions without flinching.

— Andrew Kokes, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Amy Adams’ Anna Bowden — who has a complicated history with Max as his former lawyer — peeks through the curtain to spy on him, flinching as Max insists on snapping his own broken finger into place.

— Benjamin VanHoose, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

Definition of flinching

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.

Browse Nearby Words

pulling a face

pulling away

pulling down

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pulling away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20away. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pulling away

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes