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
On a recent Thursday morning, cars whizzed over the bridge with several vehicles pulling off on the side of the road to visit Long's doughnut line.
—
Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
In California, the law prevents incumbents from pulling off the kind of underhanded stunt that Garcia and Daines managed.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Down 23 points at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Brooklyn still found a way to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, pulling off the fifth-largest comeback in franchise history and avoiding a season sweep.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
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
Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
In California, the law prevents incumbents from pulling off the kind of underhanded stunt that Garcia and Daines managed.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Down 23 points at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Brooklyn still found a way to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, pulling off the fifth-largest comeback in franchise history and avoiding a season sweep.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling off
Verb
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Force majeure is a legal term that refers to unforeseeable circumstances preventing a company from fulfilling a contract.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
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The most creatively fulfilling campaigns to produce can often become those best suited to capture an audience’s imagination and, as a result, their attention.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday morning, Coral Springs police discovered Metayer‘s body inside her home while performing a welfare check.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Research from Anthropic last month revealed that AI is theoretically capable of performing the majority of tasks in white-collar fields, such as engineering, law, and business and finance.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police detained a man after executing the search warrant.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The company cited rules against apps executing unreviewed code.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Super Mario Galaxy is achieving a number other milestones, including delivering the year’s biggest three-day opening of the year so far, a record held briefly by sleeper hit Project Hail Mary.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2026
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Because convection heat is more intense, lowering the temperature to 375°F instead of 400°F may help prevent over-browning while still achieving crisp skins and tender centers.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The trick to accomplishing a quick turnaround is to use the last two losses as teaching points, figuring out how to better close things out against good teams.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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Six seasons later, Schaefer is on the verge of accomplishing what only Conradt has — leading Texas to consecutive Final Four appearances.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Oz, who earlier this year was criticized after posting a video accusing Armenian crime groups of carrying out widespread fraud, continued Thursday to accuse California and Los Angeles officials of not doing enough to combat fraud.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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The letter was submitted in a federal court case stemming from a lawsuit by advocacy groups challenging ICE's practice of carrying out arrests inside immigration courts, which are run by the Justice Department.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pretty soon people realized that some women had actually always been out there doing things.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Add into the mix consistent hand-washing, doing the dishes with harsh soaps, and something as mundane as getting gel nail polish cured with a UV light?—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Miami Beach police arrested a 32-year-old man accused of making antisemitic remarks and threatening a father in front of his children at Stillwater Park.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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The union is also pushing for more flexibility in school-level decision-making and clearer guidelines around work hours and compensation for extended duties.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20off. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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