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

The strategy pulls shoppers in with events, classes, concerts and attractions rather than relying on transactions alone. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026 The system also pulls from more than 100 million products in Alibaba’s catalog and over two decades of trade data to help identify sourcing opportunities in the first place. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 22 July 2026 At the opposite end, a generous bow lounge pulls triple duty as sunbathing area, dining space, and private retreat. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 July 2026 Holzinger jumps into the tank, her movements inelegant and panicked, and pulls Nüganen out. — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 And when the chopper couldn’t fly due to weather, Jeff and Anat invited me on ice climbing and kite skiing (wind, not gravity, pulls you across the snow), excursions. — Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026 The key question is whether that influence strengthens your vision or pulls you away from it. — Nadia Alshomali, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 The fish gives you polish, but the chimichurri pulls it back toward Argentina, toward the grill, toward the street. — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026 Investors are trying to suss out where the Fed will take interest rates, as Warsh pulls back on how the Fed talks about its plans. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 15 July 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

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

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

Since moving to Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant 10 years ago, founder Melanie Dir has absorbed the historic neighborhood's character—its character and community—eventually distilling those influences into a fragrance brand that debuted this April.

— Parizaad Khan Sethi, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 July 2026
Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of influences

Noun

Despite the lack of an open flame, the meat picks up the smoke from the grill, highlighted in the beautifully charred edges and marbling.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
The blatant ambition comes with its own drama; Holzinger’s work can feel rough around the edges, creating the sense that, at any level of a production, something might go very wrong.

— Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of edges

Verb

Raimundo Orsi, Italy vs Czechoslovakia, 1934 Orsi drags Italy level with nine minutes to go, controlling a bouncing ball and turning superbly in the box to fire past Czech goalkeeper and captain Frantisek Planicka.

— Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Overall, the plan is on par with a request the White House submitted to Congress last month, as the Iran war drags past four months.

— Kevin Freking, Fortune, 15 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