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
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Recent Examples of pulls
Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025
The pain of the cold pulls back, replaced by a fizzing in my limbs.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
After a little more belittling of Brian and his station in life, Malcolm drunkenly pulls his sword from his scabbard and starts slashing wildly.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
Just as that wake created in the river pulls the inner tube in that direction, the wake created by a spinning ball with seams gathering in one area pulls the ball in that direction.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The core cast are forgettable, but the game pulls tricks from older-era Call of Duty titles like Modern Warfare and Black Ops by saddling players with alternating POVs of the events just long enough to learn someone’s name before you’re forced to live out their demise.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Derek pulls her out of the water and tries to save her.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
PrettyGarden Oversized Cardigan Sweater This oversized cardigan looks incredibly stylish and is one of those effortless layering pieces that pulls an outfit together in seconds.
—Nusrat Sultana, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent celebrity pulls, a reedition Takashi Murakami collaboration, and an upcoming Sofia Coppola documentary have thrust the designer’s 16-year reign at the house back into the spotlight.
—Erin Cunningham, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
Make sure to clean and polish knobs and pulls.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Thanks to some vintage pulls from Marge’s high school wardrobe, Lisa becomes a style icon at Springfield Elementary, gaining her admission to the school’s exclusive fashion club.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 28 Sep. 2025
There were four big money lottery draw games Friday, but Cash4Life, Jackpot Triple Play, Mega Millions and Fantasy 5 pulls produced only a jackpot winner for a player at a Publix.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
While club masseurs and physios were kept busy dealing with his team-mates’ pulls and strains, Salah’s only demands were around preparation and ensuring his body was ready for whatever Klopp had to throw at him the following day.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The first-team All-County linebacker in ’24 led the Lancers in flag pulls, grabbed eight interceptions, and still caught 20 TDs.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
The former material pops from directly above the foot and is matched by the color on one of the two heel pulls and the heel of the midsole.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Sorbitol pulls water into your colon to soften stools.
—Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025
The pain of the cold pulls back, replaced by a fizzing in my limbs.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
After a little more belittling of Brian and his station in life, Malcolm drunkenly pulls his sword from his scabbard and starts slashing wildly.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
Just as that wake created in the river pulls the inner tube in that direction, the wake created by a spinning ball with seams gathering in one area pulls the ball in that direction.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The core cast are forgettable, but the game pulls tricks from older-era Call of Duty titles like Modern Warfare and Black Ops by saddling players with alternating POVs of the events just long enough to learn someone’s name before you’re forced to live out their demise.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Derek pulls her out of the water and tries to save her.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
PrettyGarden Oversized Cardigan Sweater This oversized cardigan looks incredibly stylish and is one of those effortless layering pieces that pulls an outfit together in seconds.
—Nusrat Sultana, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent celebrity pulls, a reedition Takashi Murakami collaboration, and an upcoming Sofia Coppola documentary have thrust the designer’s 16-year reign at the house back into the spotlight.
—Erin Cunningham, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
Chrome faucets, brushed brass pulls, and tile counters sparkle without overwhelming the rustic base.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
Make sure to clean and polish knobs and pulls.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Thanks to some vintage pulls from Marge’s high school wardrobe, Lisa becomes a style icon at Springfield Elementary, gaining her admission to the school’s exclusive fashion club.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 28 Sep. 2025
There were four big money lottery draw games Friday, but Cash4Life, Jackpot Triple Play, Mega Millions and Fantasy 5 pulls produced only a jackpot winner for a player at a Publix.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
While club masseurs and physios were kept busy dealing with his team-mates’ pulls and strains, Salah’s only demands were around preparation and ensuring his body was ready for whatever Klopp had to throw at him the following day.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The first-team All-County linebacker in ’24 led the Lancers in flag pulls, grabbed eight interceptions, and still caught 20 TDs.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
The former material pops from directly above the foot and is matched by the color on one of the two heel pulls and the heel of the midsole.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulls
Verb
-
While Alex is reeling from his discovery, Dwayne attacks him and hauls him away.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Henry is surprised by the reaction of the crowd, which hauls him outside to drown him in the well for sticking his nose in clan matters.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Suddenly, someone in the audience yanks her violently into the screaming mass of people.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In each Whatever After novel, a magic portal yanks the main character, Abby, out of her comfortable life and thrusts her into another reality.—
Sarah Mlynowski,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One of the most significant is the Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ), a 1,200-kilometer fracture that stretches from Luzon to Mindanao.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Herschel crater stretches 80 miles (130 kilometers) across, and is playing a key role in the discussion about the existence of Mimas' ocean.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Here, fat-tire bicycles seem to outnumber cars, hours are measured in sunscreen applications and tugs on fishing lines, and island nightlife belongs to nesting sea turtles.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Audi — never one to truly push hard into the proper luxury coupe market, but always working around its edges — has bowed out of the two-door market entirely.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Linda also drags her daughter to a clinic for regular treatments, none of which seem to do any good.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The White House has also warned that federal workers will be fired, and floated the possibility of denying back pay to furloughed employees, if the shutdown drags on much longer.—
Kevin Breuninger,Erin Doherty,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Broken heart syndrome, which is more formally known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, occurs when the heart muscle weakens temporarily and causes similar serious health concerns to those of a heart attack.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
-
That’s a three-year gap that may require retirees to withdraw a much larger percentage of their portfolio to cover, leaving them open to greater risk if the market weakens significantly.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pulls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulls. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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