1
as in hauls
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in yanks
to draw out by force or with effort
the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tugs
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
I gave the door such a pull that when it suddenly opened, I nearly fell backwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sways
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
their lawyer supposedly has a lot of pull with the administration in Washington
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in edges
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
a political candidate with all of the pull that comes with a vast fortune and famous surname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pulls
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Stars actually stay here, and the on-site cocktail spot Gemma pulls them down for drinks.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Slim profiles, vertical thinking and furniture that pulls double duty can transform a tight outdoor strip into a space that genuinely functions like another room.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Planning a summer trip that pulls the kids away from their screens without putting the adults to sleep?
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Clayton County pulls from five reservoirs, and Erin Thomas with the Clayton County Water Authority shared tips with CBS Atlanta on how to properly conserve.
—Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
From there, a sculptural spiral staircase pulls you up toward the main living level, where a skylight pours daylight down like a spotlight.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But when a former co-worker pulls the same maneuver, tempers flare, and things start to get pretty dark.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Sometimes a person opens the top of their skull to reach inside; in her painting Threading the Story Through the Eye of a Needle (circa 1974), a hand pulls a line of thread through a pupil, towing two tiny people in a boat, suggesting both sight and an idea made manifest.
—Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Swapping cabinet knobs, drawer pulls and towel hooks is a fast way to modernize the space.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Update Your Mirror or Hardware Swapping cabinet knobs, drawer pulls and towel hooks is a quick project that refreshes the room without a renovation.
—Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Kylie, meanwhile, had some fun with both vintage pulls and merch.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2026
Emotional rug-pulls arrive in the form of happy surprises that stretch the third act too long and test the limits of our disbelief.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
Emotional rug-pulls arrive in the form of happy surprises that stretch the third act too long and test the limits of our disbelief.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026
Sheer and lace curtains should be hand-washed in cool water or placed in a mesh laundry bag in a washing machine to prevent snags and pulls.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 Mar. 2026
Ceiling dryers with cable pulls or rail systems can be pulled down as required and then pushed back up to the ceiling.
—Melissa Grustat, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
This month pulls you inward before launching you into a whole new era.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Stars actually stay here, and the on-site cocktail spot Gemma pulls them down for drinks.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Slim profiles, vertical thinking and furniture that pulls double duty can transform a tight outdoor strip into a space that genuinely functions like another room.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Planning a summer trip that pulls the kids away from their screens without putting the adults to sleep?
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Clayton County pulls from five reservoirs, and Erin Thomas with the Clayton County Water Authority shared tips with CBS Atlanta on how to properly conserve.
—Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
From there, a sculptural spiral staircase pulls you up toward the main living level, where a skylight pours daylight down like a spotlight.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But when a former co-worker pulls the same maneuver, tempers flare, and things start to get pretty dark.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Sometimes a person opens the top of their skull to reach inside; in her painting Threading the Story Through the Eye of a Needle (circa 1974), a hand pulls a line of thread through a pupil, towing two tiny people in a boat, suggesting both sight and an idea made manifest.
—Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
His workout also consists of cable pulls, hanging leg raises, ab wheel rollouts and more.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Swapping cabinet knobs, drawer pulls and towel hooks is a fast way to modernize the space.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Update Your Mirror or Hardware Swapping cabinet knobs, drawer pulls and towel hooks is a quick project that refreshes the room without a renovation.
—Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Kylie, meanwhile, had some fun with both vintage pulls and merch.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2026
Emotional rug-pulls arrive in the form of happy surprises that stretch the third act too long and test the limits of our disbelief.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
Emotional rug-pulls arrive in the form of happy surprises that stretch the third act too long and test the limits of our disbelief.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026
Sheer and lace curtains should be hand-washed in cool water or placed in a mesh laundry bag in a washing machine to prevent snags and pulls.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 Mar. 2026
Ceiling dryers with cable pulls or rail systems can be pulled down as required and then pushed back up to the ceiling.
—Melissa Grustat, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulls
Verb
-
While the men are creeping around separately, Jerry is apprehended by a hotel employee, Fergal (Michael Patric), who hauls him off to the police station.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
In total, the team hauls up several jugs and plates.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maden takes thee wine bottle from him and the officers reach for his wrists but Brown resists and yanks his arms back, the video shows.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Leaphorn yanks the jug his way (despite being cuffed) and is able to put the filter packet down his pants.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Noriega, the analyst, said that the amount companies are paying to cross the Panama Canal may continue to go up if the conflict stretches on, as oil prices are already skyrocketing.—
Alma Solís,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Announced Tuesday, the official feature competition includes 11 films, with France again playing an outsized role — six of the titles are French productions or co-productions — even as the selection stretches across Asia and the Americas.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Video of the pair's initial greeting at the White House on Monday is circulating online, showing the president firmly grasping hands with the monarch, and giving a few characteristic tugs.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The ships represented by red shapes are tankers, while green shapes represent cargo ships and light blue ones are tugs, service or military vessels.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Transfer dough to prepared pan and, using an offset spatula lightly coated with nonstick spray, spread into an even layer, working all the way to the edges.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
-
Over the top of these more ragged edges, Llobet takes a pointillistic approach to lyric writing, favoring half-thoughts and dreamy images that coalesce into a picture of unsettled anxiety.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The trio pulled up on e-bikes, drove up to the entrance of the Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to take drags off a vape while peering through the shuttered doors.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Work fewer than 35 years and the SSA plugs zeros into the missing slots, which drags your benefit down.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There are swooping close encounters with heavenly bodies, Lego blocks in antigravity mode and swarms of Separators, a sort of astro-anthropomorphic version of the tool that pries apart Lego bricks in real life.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The show’s biggest laugh may come when Testa pries open Costanzo’s mouth and pronounces just how many performances of Norma Galas has left.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That inconsistency weakens the institution, erodes public trust, and leaves voters increasingly frustrated with both parties.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
The anti-diversity law weakens community expression.—
Jon Harris Maurer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulls. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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