as in fulfilling
to carry through (as a process) to completion
the rebel forces pulled off a surprisingly successful offensive against the better equipped government troops
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Recent Examples of pulling off
There's nothing the couple loves more than pulling off the road to enjoy a local diner or small clam shack.
—
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
Shenzhen is likened to a vibrant harbor for dreamers, and the hotel is pulling off the feat of becoming a gathering place for tech professionals and financial elites.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
What’s more American than pulling off a victory after a kick in the teeth?
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
The Miami quarterback was minutes removed from throwing the game-sealing interception that ended UM’s chances of pulling off a comeback to win their sixth national title.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
So who and what is Palm Tree Crew, the mysterious entity that’s pulling off the events Billy McFarland could only dream of?
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 21 Jan. 2026
From an early age, her big sister was teaching her all about pulling off a matching moment.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Mastering proportions, for one, is key to pulling off a loose-fitting look without getting lost in it.
—Sri Rain Stewart, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Instead of pulling off a strong road win to lift the team’s spirits, the Rockets saw another close game slip away on the road as the questions about this group’s ability to execute during pivotal moments are only getting louder by the day.
—William Guillory, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
Shenzhen is likened to a vibrant harbor for dreamers, and the hotel is pulling off the feat of becoming a gathering place for tech professionals and financial elites.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
What’s more American than pulling off a victory after a kick in the teeth?
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
The Miami quarterback was minutes removed from throwing the game-sealing interception that ended UM’s chances of pulling off a comeback to win their sixth national title.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
So who and what is Palm Tree Crew, the mysterious entity that’s pulling off the events Billy McFarland could only dream of?
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 21 Jan. 2026
From an early age, her big sister was teaching her all about pulling off a matching moment.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Mastering proportions, for one, is key to pulling off a loose-fitting look without getting lost in it.
—Sri Rain Stewart, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Instead of pulling off a strong road win to lift the team’s spirits, the Rockets saw another close game slip away on the road as the questions about this group’s ability to execute during pivotal moments are only getting louder by the day.
—William Guillory, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling off
Verb
-
While fulfilling a longtime neoconservative dream, this war is the latest assault on the constitutional order.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Christine describes a calm, easy, fulfilling, and passionate love.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The season is long enough with the first events taking place in early fall, and many choose to begin their offseason early after the stress of performing at the Winter Games.—
Mercury News staff,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Following layoffs of 4,000 in September and 10,000 in February, Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff asserted that AI is already performing 50% of all the work at the top CRM platform.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While some agencies dominate headlines with splashy launches, JAXA often works with a quiet precision that suddenly produces something extraordinary — a spacecraft touching down on an asteroid, a lunar lander executing a daring maneuver, or a new instrument revealing the universe in sharper detail.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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And imagine nations commanding drone swarms and robot dog packs capable of making decisions and executing missions without human intervention.—
Eric Schmidt,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Here are 10 steps the Cowboys can take toward achieving a perfect offseason — at least in our eyes.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But what makes Chanel’s formula so singular in achieving the look?—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That bill is designed to address all 50 of the recommendations the NTSB made — not just the locator technology, but NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has said the House bill falls short of accomplishing that.—
Josh Funk,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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Iowa's dominance in collegiate wrestling The Hawkeyes lead all Iowa schools with 24 team titles at the NCAA Championships, last accomplishing this feat in 2021, and are second all-time, behind Oklahoma State (34).—
Cooper Worth,
Des Moines Register,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Police appear to be cracking down on distraction-style thefts with LAPD releasing photos of a man and a woman carrying out a similar scheme.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Jarosz added that the Sheriff’s Office cannot legally obstruct another law enforcement agency from carrying out its duties.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Similarly, Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said in December that the bank is doing a lot more because of AI.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
An officer monitoring a vehicle X-ray machine did not detect anything wrong with the vehicle, but another officer doing a physical inspection spotted the woman’s foot, according to the complaint.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Not making enough stops defensively to thwart the Heat while subsequently only hitting 7 of 21 attempts in the final 12 minutes doomed the Hornets.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Pirates were making their fourth consecutive state tournament appearance.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20off. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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