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
Jordan Jones and Mekhi Young led Thornwood (18-9, 5-6) with 19 points apiece, with Jones also pulling down 10 rebounds.
—
Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Dunn led the Trojans with a season-high 29 points while pulling down five rebounds.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
The person, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said they were punched in the face after pulling down an officer’s mask who was dragging them out of the vehicle.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
In Weckback’s absence, junior Jazmyn Bugg hit the glass hard, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
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
Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Dunn led the Trojans with a season-high 29 points while pulling down five rebounds.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
The person, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said they were punched in the face after pulling down an officer’s mask who was dragging them out of the vehicle.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
In Weckback’s absence, junior Jazmyn Bugg hit the glass hard, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling down
Verb
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That trust was put to the test in 1976, when the Teton Dam failed, and more than 80 billion gallons of water spilled out of the breached reservoir, killing six people in Rexburg and destroying hundreds of millions of dollars of property.—
Northwest River Partners,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
-
After the phone was seized, investigators determined Johnson used an online account or third-party service to remotely wipe the device, destroying potential evidence.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And demolishing that building, by the way, is not inexpensive.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
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The restaurant’s landlord had previously expressed interest in demolishing the building to make way for a multistory residential project.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Liu surprised fans when retiring a month after earning a bronze medal at the ‘22 World Championships.—
Elliott Almond,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Indiana Senate passes under-the-radar provision scrapping 'low-earning' college degrees.—
Evan Frank,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mist dissipates around a room instead of spewing out like a wet stream, which keeps Alpert worry-free about ruining her wooden bed frame.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
6 Feb. 2026
-
In fact, for some items, a standard cold wash can be ruining.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On Thursday morning, fire department trucks were tearing down the affected side of the building, which was entirely blackened and hollowed out from the flames.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Four men escaped the facility by tearing down one of the building’s walls.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Working in Northwest Arkansas since 1990, Tom has been an award-winning reporter, a columnist and city editor and an editorial page editor.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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Florida’s season took off from there and reached new heights, ending with a 12-game winning streak and the school’s third national championship.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But a drone had hit one of its salons, shattering a heating pipe and flooding the premises.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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The new Wade is an endlessly wisecracking chatterbox, shattering the fourth wall with gleeful abandon.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From Bengaluru to Berlin, Boston to São Paulo, Shenzhen to Seoul, cities are reaping the benefits of establishing and supporting dynamic research and development (R&D) hubs.—
Abdulla Belhoul,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Essentially, the Bulls carry a wealth of cap space with the ability to take on money from other teams while reaping as much value as possible from players who were already on their way out.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20down. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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