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
Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
Brown again pulls his hands away from the cops before Maden starts punching him.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Cameras captured Groff, 41, in the crowd during one of the moments in the show where the actor playing Darin pulls someone from their seat for a dance.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
The company pulls more than three times as much data per web page as OpenAI and five times as much as Microsoft and Anthropic.
—Cory Schouten, semafor.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The film pulls the audience onto the dance floor of the hedonistic nightclub Downtown in Amsterdam, where Ronnie and Lennart spend most of their nights.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
According to Scripps, the warm water temperatures are not being driven by El Niño or warming at the equator, but by persistent high-pressure systems that reduce winds and upwelling, a movement that pulls colder nutrient-rich water to the surface.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Then there’s the fridge cleanout meal, the broader category that pulls everything together.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
On certain Tuesdays and Thursdays during the spring, Stagg’s Mo Farhan pulls double duty.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 16 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
Her The Kindred’s Curse Saga series follows healer Diem Bellator as the search for her missing mother pulls her into a growing civil war between the oppressed mortals of Emarion and the magic-wielding demigods known as the Descended.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
Brown again pulls his hands away from the cops before Maden starts punching him.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Cameras captured Groff, 41, in the crowd during one of the moments in the show where the actor playing Darin pulls someone from their seat for a dance.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
The company pulls more than three times as much data per web page as OpenAI and five times as much as Microsoft and Anthropic.
—Cory Schouten, semafor.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The film pulls the audience onto the dance floor of the hedonistic nightclub Downtown in Amsterdam, where Ronnie and Lennart spend most of their nights.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
According to Scripps, the warm water temperatures are not being driven by El Niño or warming at the equator, but by persistent high-pressure systems that reduce winds and upwelling, a movement that pulls colder nutrient-rich water to the surface.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Then there’s the fridge cleanout meal, the broader category that pulls everything together.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
On certain Tuesdays and Thursdays during the spring, Stagg’s Mo Farhan pulls double duty.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 16 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
-
Now, the price shock from the war with Iran has become yet another headache for the beleaguered industry that hauls 70% of all freight in America.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
After lowering the helicopter to the water's surface, a flight crew member grabs the dog and hauls the pet aboard.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Detective Maden takes the wine bottle from him and the officers reach for his wrists, Brown resists and yanks his arms back, the video shows.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
17 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
-
After dinner, rum-centric cocktails are served up nightly with vibey tunes and a view of the Grove that stretches all the way to the Bay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Five are anchored in Democratic-heavy northern Virginia, including one shaped like a lobster that stretches into Republican-leaning rural areas.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The research builds on earlier work where robotic guide dogs responded to physical cues like leash tugs.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bieber’s stage was large, roundish, and mostly bare, with a hilly ridge around the edges.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
-
For a bit more texture, cook until the edges of the whites are browned and crisp.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The share of Americans who disapprove of the job that Congress is doing stands at an all-time high as the partial government shutdown drags on, according to new polling from Gallup.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The longer his nomination drags on, the greater the chance that the Fed and other central banks will be able to look past the Iran war's oil-price shock and get back to worrying about a weakening labor market.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
21 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
-
The exit of thousands of DOJ lawyers weakens law enforcement for many years to come, former DOJ lawyers told USA TODAY.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Abbott contends the policy weakens statewide coordination with federal authorities.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulls. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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