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

Williams pulls even with Steffi Graf for the most major championships in the Open era, which began in 1968. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 That pulls an internal audit into architecture decisions far earlier than anyone is used to. — Rahul Bhatia, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 How Cumulative Stress Tracking Works on Your Wearable Oura’s Cumulative Stress feature pulls from 31 days of ring data to estimate how sustained strain is showing up in your body. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026 How Oura Measures Cumulative Stress In fall 2025, Oura rolled out its Cumulative Stress feature, which pulls from 31 days of ring data to gauge how sustained strain is showing up in the body. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026 This square-neck one-piece easily pulls double duty as a bodysuit, too — just add denim shorts or a breezy linen skirt post-pool day before dinner. — Brittany Anas, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026 As Otto groans, Rhaenrya pulls back and cleaves off Otto's head. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026 That last flavor is augmented by the whiskey’s higher proof, which veers toward burn but pulls back at the last minute. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 June 2026 Carín León sees the World Cup as something that pulls different cultures together. — CBS News, 27 June 2026

Noun

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 Borcherding recommends making sure that the mounting hole width lines up with your existing pulls. — Jane Kim, The Spruce, 11 June 2026 Paint the walls, opt for an interesting wallpaper pattern, replace the toilet and vanity, swap out tacky old hardware for stylish knobs and pulls, and install new light fixtures. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 June 2026 Schrader suggests wiping down cabinetry knobs or pulls, light switches, and doorknobs at least once a month to make your home more sanitary. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 June 2026 The leather is accented by tonal crimson suede paisley cutouts and the style also includes extra short Western earn pulls with bullet pull holes. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 22 May 2026 So finding a cheap route to the moon has a lot to do with gravity, specifically the gravitational pulls of both Earth and the moon. — Julian Dossett, Space.com, 20 May 2026 Hock led the Cobras in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns this season while sophomore Tatiana Alicea led in total flag pulls. — Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulls

Verb

Having already been booked for a foul on Brobbey, Fofana hauls down Wilson Isidor and earns his club’s eighth red card of the Premier League season.

— Andy Naylor, New York Times, 24 May 2026
According to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the Thunderbirds cost taxpayers about $35 million a year in salaries, aircraft, fuel, rehearsals and the C-17 cargo plane that hauls 50-plus support crew and spare parts to every stop on the tour.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026

Definition of hauls

Verb

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
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

Definition of yanks

Verb

With a history that stretches back to 1221, this is considered the world’s oldest pharmacy, where Dominican friars produced medicinal tinctures and perfumes.

— Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
The rivalry between the neighboring nations stretches back over 100 years on the pitch without ever being one that has slipped into hatred.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Definition of stretches

Noun

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
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, 7 July 2026

Definition of tugs

Noun

The culture, food and music of Cape Verde is a blend of African and Portuguese influences, and life moves at a relaxed pace.

— Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Food and drink Offering breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and room service, Casa Gangotena specializes in cocina mestiza, which reflects the Indigenous, European, American, and African influences that have shaped Ecuadorian cuisine.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026

Definition of influences

Noun

Fold the foil in half, then fold up the edges to make 2-inch-high sides.

— Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2026
Authorities appeared concerned about the dangers of having a large crowd alongside the procession, with officials on loudspeakers urging the public to walk slowly, not to push and to stay to the edges of the street.

— Nasser Karimi, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of edges

Verb

This leads to another unfortunate confrontation with a Bowden parent, as Tom drags Cady into the street and beats him up in full view of lookie-loos with phone cameras.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Trump speaks to Putin and Zelenskyy Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian oil facilities in recent months, seeking to deplete President Vladimir Putin's war chest as the Kremlin's more than four-year war drags on.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 7 July 2026

Definition of drags

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