PULLS Synonyms: 178 Similar and Opposite Words

pulls 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pull

as in hauls

to cause to follow by applying steady force on a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon

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Relevance

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as in yanks

to draw out by force or with effort the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth

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as in stretches

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure lift the crate carefully, or you'll pull a muscle

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pulls

2 of 2

noun

plural of pull

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

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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

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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

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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 pulls

Verb

There’s a fun bit when Green pulls her badge to walk Reacher out through the police cordon, pretending to have placed him under arrest, but the ruse doesn’t last long. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 The curvy wood frame and oversized door pulls give the Scandi-centric piece a bit of retro appeal without feeling dated. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026 Monday had only three big money Florida Lottery drawings — one Powerball, two Fantasy 5 pulls — but seven players shared two jackpots. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Here, the narrow starting position of home right-back Timothy Castagne pulls left centre-back Levi Colwill upfield, leaving space for Josh King to burst into and find a crossing position. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Later in the ad, another man pulls the driver out of the golf bag and takes swings with it while Clark looks on. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The school, which pulls students from most of Northbrook and a small section of Glenview, is led by principal Mandy Hughes and features a powerhouse debate team that has won 21 state championships and 14 national titles. — Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 The move pulls back on the city’s previous decision to eliminate parking minimums in 2022 to help encourage development. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 In the episode, Claudia Ferri and Kristen Wiig go all out and get into a fight after Raquel (Ferri) pulls a gun on Maxine (Wiig). — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026

Noun

On Monday, the Fantasy 5 pulls will be joined by the Powerball drawing, worth an $81 million jackpot. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 Io is repeatedly squeezed and stretched by Jupiter and the gravitational pulls of neighboring moons Europa and Ganymede. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026 The exquisite scenery is also one of the show’s biggest pulls. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Highlights are monster truck rides, truck and tractor pulls, in addition to the fireworks. — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026 With its rounded edges and carved-in handle pulls, the brand’s Adel sideboard can fit into your space in a number of ways, whether as a stylish TV stand or a modern entryway piece to greet visitors. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 July 2026 Use a custom combination of brass, bronze, rose gold, copper, silver, chrome, or black metal on cabinet pulls, knobs, faucets, lighting, or appliances. — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 24 July 2026 The promotion dropped on Monday, June 29 and almost immediately, the original $150,000 budget allocated to the promotion was drained —covering some 25,000 pulls. — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 Irwin, who is the sister of former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Trent Irwin, recorded 94 flag pulls and 15 interceptions as a safety. — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulls

Verb

And just a few miles away, the popular Mount Washington Cog Railway hauls visitors to the summit of the property’s namesake, and the highest peak in the Northeast at nearly 6,300 feet.

— Erik Matuszewski, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
The gang hauls the contraption to the front curb and pours their non-alcoholic beers into it.

— Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of hauls

Verb

Johnson yanks veterans' benefits package An effort to advance a package of VA benefits bills this morning on the House floor went down in flames – the latest in Speaker Mike Johnson's struggle to get Republicans on the same page.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Like a false note on an out-of-tune piano, a clunky verb, a sentence without rhythm, yanks the reader out the flow of the work.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026

Definition of yanks

Verb

Cheeca Lodge & Spa Cheeca Lodge’s history stretches back to the late 1800s, but the property became a resort in 1946 when Clara May Downey purchased it and renamed it the Olney Inn.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
The fire in the High Fens, which stretches across the border with Germany, is smoldering atop a much-bloodied battlefield where Nazis fought Allied troops.

— Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of stretches

Noun

The European Investment Bank (EIB) estimates that roughly 200 wrecks, including warships, barges, tugs, and cargo vessels, remain scattered across a five-kilometer stretch of the river near Prahovo.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Momentus’ spacecraft can also serve as space tugs to ferry smaller satellites or experiments from one orbit to another.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

Definition of tugs

Noun

Clever and snappy, fresh and silly, a winning combination of classic Looney Tunes gags and contemporary concerns (the press notes mention many influences including, no joke, The Insider).

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Typically, in the success stories, there's a strong bond between the child and the parents that managed to survive a lot of the negative influences that can happen along the journey.

— Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of influences

Noun

With confetti colors and an appealing blocky design (buffered by rounded edges), these statement pieces are easy to clean and light enough to be moved from playroom to patio without a hitch.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 31 Aug. 2026
This pre-seasoned, ¼ inch thick steel heat extremely evenly with minimal disparity between the center and edges.

— Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of edges

Verb

As the conflict drags on, damage to the Middle East will extend far beyond infrastructure.

— Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
And while American and Israeli strikes have battered Iran for months, the conflict has also taken a toll on Pentagon resources and American lives as the war drags on.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of drags

Verb

By fields of cotton and soybeans where his bees forage and pollinate, Foster Hensel pries open the lid of one of his beehives, setting off a rising hum from inside.

— Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Remove the 11 Philips-head screws on the bottom of the laptop, and its bottom pries up with a bit of pressure.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026