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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pulling off
Cuba is currently pulling off one of the fastest solar revolutions on the planet, with help from China, according to data from the energy think tank Ember.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Boston is still favored to advance and in Game 3 on the road, but the 76ers will have hope of pulling off the upset of the Eastern Conference favorites.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Except last season, when Christian McCaffrey started all 19 games and led the NFL in touches while almost pulling off the 1,000-yard rushing/receiving double-double.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
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
What’s more American than pulling off a victory after a kick in the teeth?
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Boston is still favored to advance and in Game 3 on the road, but the 76ers will have hope of pulling off the upset of the Eastern Conference favorites.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Except last season, when Christian McCaffrey started all 19 games and led the NFL in touches while almost pulling off the 1,000-yard rushing/receiving double-double.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
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
What’s more American than pulling off a victory after a kick in the teeth?
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling off
Verb
-
By traveling to the Canary Islands, Leo is fulfilling a wish of Pope Francis to minister to the many migrants who arrive on the Spanish archipelago after risking their lives to reach Europe from Africa.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
The question arises as to how effectively Maryland’s Republican Party is fulfilling its responsibilities.—
Anirban Basu,
Baltimore Sun,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny is performing two shows of his 10-concert Spanish tour in the capital.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
One account notes that a firefighter was called to assist with moving Hogan from the residence, while other members of the Clearwater Fire Department were already performing lifesaving measures.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
And many marketing teams are still executing against a map of a territory that has already morphed.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
What appears to be a Unitree G1 humanoid robot wearing a blue clown wig can be seen confidently executing a roundhouse kick — squarely in the stomach of a young child in the audience, causing the kid to double over in pain.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
For Southland Development Authority CEO Bo Kemp, fostering connections is key to achieving his goal of making the south suburbs a hub for economic development.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
Unlike standard carbon filters, these molecular cages force PFAS molecules to clump together inside a cavity, achieving a 98 percent removal rate.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Without this data, there can be no way to measure what percentage of time the AI saves in accomplishing tasks.—
TerDawn DeBoe,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
Fresh Market of Northtown Plans for a brand new, full-service grocery store in North Kansas City moved forward Tuesday evening, making the city one step closer to accomplishing a years-long goal of bringing a new grocer to the area.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Federal prosecutors said Derek Nathan Lopez, 22, and Juan Gabriel Gonzalez, 23, admitted to carrying out more than a dozen armed robberies targeting casino winners in Los Angeles County.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
-
The environmental lawsuit is the latest attempt to prevent the governor from carrying out his unpopular return-to-office order.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Everybody knows that there’ll be certain parts that are doing okay, but a large part of the society in North Korea is very poor.—
Andrew McNicol,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
-
In coverage at Barron’s, Paul La Monica notes how Fidelity is probably doing this due to pressure from brokers like Robinhood that don’t have the same usual requirements.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
That being said, Breslow confirmed that the Red Sox have explored making external additions to help the team.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
That has marquee potential with Coloradan star Sophia Wilson making her first club appearance in Denver.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20off. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
