as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
the jockey tried to pull up the apparently injured horse
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Recent Examples of pulling up
The Gothic revival building sits on a corner lot near the Power & Light District, and pulling up to the valet station signals the start of a true city break.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Brunson hit Smith with four crossovers into a step-back two to bring the Knicks within two, then invited Eason to perform the Electric Slide before pulling up for the go-ahead two with less than 30 seconds in regulation.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
And so there’s Bobby, pulling up in a stretch limo from Memphis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Down dirt roads and behind stands of oak trees in their neighborhood, pump jacks nodded up and down, pulling up oil.
—Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
Udogie came off in the second half at Old Trafford after pulling up while running down the left wing.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The same can be said for EVs pulling up next to a gas pump at a fuel station instead of a parking spot.
—Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
This type of snow forms when cold air moves over a warmer body of water, pulling up moisture and heat.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
Good continues to wave her hand from left to right after the Ford passes as two other officers are seen pulling up in an unmarked Nissan Titan pickup truck with flashing red and blue lights.
—Chris Looft, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Brunson hit Smith with four crossovers into a step-back two to bring the Knicks within two, then invited Eason to perform the Electric Slide before pulling up for the go-ahead two with less than 30 seconds in regulation.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
And so there’s Bobby, pulling up in a stretch limo from Memphis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Down dirt roads and behind stands of oak trees in their neighborhood, pump jacks nodded up and down, pulling up oil.
—Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
Udogie came off in the second half at Old Trafford after pulling up while running down the left wing.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The same can be said for EVs pulling up next to a gas pump at a fuel station instead of a parking spot.
—Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
This type of snow forms when cold air moves over a warmer body of water, pulling up moisture and heat.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
Good continues to wave her hand from left to right after the Ford passes as two other officers are seen pulling up in an unmarked Nissan Titan pickup truck with flashing red and blue lights.
—Chris Looft, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling up
Verb
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The video, shared by the Chino Police Department, shows two vehicles stopping at a red light in front of and behind a big rig on Friday.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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Eventually Trump himself entered the hall—now as quiet as a library—and began making his way very slowly down the red carpet with the First Lady, stopping every few steps to take a question.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After arriving on Netflix and Peacock, the flagship show unexpectedly broke streaming records and topped Nielsen's streaming charts for months on end in the midst of the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes essentially halting production and postproduction on new shows.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Let your inner animal roar with a traffic-halting color and an even bolder print.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It’s been approved in several communities, including Evanston, Skokie and Oak Park, but lawsuits are stalling implementation.—
Marj Halperin,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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However, many other weather models depict the front stalling out across North Texas before ever making it to San Antonio.—
Anthony Franze,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nataliia Sukhar left her home in northeastern Kharkiv after the war broke out, catching a 15-hour train to Berlin with her then 5-year-old son, Gleb, on a journey followed by NBC News.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
24 Feb. 2026
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Andrea gets up and hurries across the street, catching the doctor at the clinic entrance.—
Rodrigo Hasbún,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His brother, sister-in-law, cousin and her husband will be bringing up the gifts at Mass Friday.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
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During their trip, Meredith was angry at Britani for bringing up TikTok rumors alleging that Meredith's husband Seth Marks had cheated on her.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Certain assistants are also tasked with drawing up each opponents’ plays as part of weekly preparation.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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While the Blue Lagoon—its waters milky with mineral-rich silica—remains the most famous, drawing up to a million visitors a year, smaller, less touristy lagoons have been appearing across the country, from Sky Lagoon on Kársnes Harbour near Reykjavik to Forest Lagoon in Iceland’s far north.—
Rick Jordan,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other Democrats protested by holding up signs and wearing statements on their clothing or walking out of the chamber altogether.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
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The outlet-exclusive style, on sale for under $40, is the ultimate travel essential, holding up to 52 liters.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even seemingly harmless activities, like checking flight itineraries or loyalty accounts, can leave a breadcrumb trail for hackers.—
Emily Cappiello,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Feb. 2026
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Eventually all parts of the city will see inspectors checking water lines, but the water department will have to come up with funding for many of them.—
Suzanne King,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20up. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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