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
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Joining Watkins for the sit-down with Deadline, Nurse John pulls back the curtain on his experience of his stratospheric rise, reflecting on the emotional impact of sudden viral visibility and the practical mechanics of turning internet attention into a sustainable live business.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2026
The two then proceed to smell each other a few times, until the sound of another dog barking pulls Lottie away.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
Poppy’s narration — full of descriptions of sandy beaches, sparkling pools, and humid AirBnbs — is what pulls the reader into her world.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026
Victor pulls a gun on the monster, but his bullet hits Elizabeth, who stepped in to protect it.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
The driver reverses as one of the agents tries to open the driver’s side door, then pulls forward.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 10 Jan. 2026
Tankaneo Long Trench Coat A long trench instantly pulls any outfit together, and this one does it with a fresh, fashion-forward edge.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
The cheese pulls everything together, giving it an extra salty and savory depth.
—Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Kristine Thomason, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026
The whole look felt assuredly Aspen—cherrypicking from the glamorous sartorial pressure points of the ’70s and ’80s, luxuriating in high-level vintage pulls and sumptuous fabrics.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026
Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey, NBC’s two-hour concert special pulls from Motown’s deep catalog while welcoming newer voices into the mix.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 17 Dec. 2025
Online, fans are thrilled to share their luck-of-the-draw so far, and ooh and aah over the rare pulls that some Trader Joe’s buyers have scored—like the elusive Peanut Bag.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
It’s made with rip-resistant fabric, has lockable zipper pulls, and has an internal shockproof belt to protect devices.
—Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2025
Enter unvarnished brass, the warm, ever-evolving metal ideal for high-touch spots like cabinet pulls, faucet handles, and light switch covers.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Nov. 2025
All the credit checks required for these offers are soft pulls.
—Ryley Amond, CNBC, 16 Nov. 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
Verb
Ariana Grande pulls Teyana Taylor in for a tight squeeze after the latter won her award.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Joining Watkins for the sit-down with Deadline, Nurse John pulls back the curtain on his experience of his stratospheric rise, reflecting on the emotional impact of sudden viral visibility and the practical mechanics of turning internet attention into a sustainable live business.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2026
The two then proceed to smell each other a few times, until the sound of another dog barking pulls Lottie away.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
Poppy’s narration — full of descriptions of sandy beaches, sparkling pools, and humid AirBnbs — is what pulls the reader into her world.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026
Victor pulls a gun on the monster, but his bullet hits Elizabeth, who stepped in to protect it.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
The driver reverses as one of the agents tries to open the driver’s side door, then pulls forward.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 10 Jan. 2026
Tankaneo Long Trench Coat A long trench instantly pulls any outfit together, and this one does it with a fresh, fashion-forward edge.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
The cheese pulls everything together, giving it an extra salty and savory depth.
—Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
Adventure Intel One of the big pulls of Reset Hotel is its proximity to the north entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, which is generally less crowded than its southern counterpart.
—Kristine Thomason, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026
The whole look felt assuredly Aspen—cherrypicking from the glamorous sartorial pressure points of the ’70s and ’80s, luxuriating in high-level vintage pulls and sumptuous fabrics.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026
Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey, NBC’s two-hour concert special pulls from Motown’s deep catalog while welcoming newer voices into the mix.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 17 Dec. 2025
Online, fans are thrilled to share their luck-of-the-draw so far, and ooh and aah over the rare pulls that some Trader Joe’s buyers have scored—like the elusive Peanut Bag.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
It’s made with rip-resistant fabric, has lockable zipper pulls, and has an internal shockproof belt to protect devices.
—Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2025
Enter unvarnished brass, the warm, ever-evolving metal ideal for high-touch spots like cabinet pulls, faucet handles, and light switch covers.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Nov. 2025
All the credit checks required for these offers are soft pulls.
—Ryley Amond, CNBC, 16 Nov. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulls
Verb
-
Global warming could doom them Under no light but the stars, a green sea turtle hauls herself out of the surf and onto the familiar sand of Alagadi Beach on the northern coast of Cyprus.—
Elizabeth Preston,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
-
The Maverick, which is available in five trims, costs less than $29,000 for the XL model, hauls 1,500 lbs and tows up to 4,000 lbs.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Judy yanks Mikey’s roller trunk out of the mud and leads him toward one of the nearby hiking trails.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Suddenly, someone in the audience yanks her violently into the screaming mass of people.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Russia, which stretches over half of the Arctic Ocean coastline, currently controls a majority of the region.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado established a similar team in her 14th District, which stretches from downtown to Northeast Los Angeles.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These motorcycles were so well-built that they were even employed in both World Wars, mainly as dispatch bikes and sidecar tugs for the British armed forces.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Dec. 2025
-
The first, known as the radial velocity technique, looks for slight wobbles in the star’s position, as the gravity of an orbiting exoplanet tugs it one way and then the other.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Cake mix, lemon pie filling, and butter come together in the oven to create crisp edges and a gooey, citrusy center, while a little cream cheese in the mix rounds out the lemon’s brightness.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Other signs of unseasoned wood are bark that is tightly attached and a wet, fresh-looking center with lighter and drier looking wood near the edges or ends.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Iwobi’s movement drags Ladislav Krejci wider, increasing the space between the lines and creating a clear passing angle for Calvin Bassey.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
This not-quite-title song, which is nearly eight minutes long, is a sort of mini-suite, opening with a dog barking, giving way to an acoustic-guitar melody accompanying polyphonic vocals, then becoming electric and crashingly alive, until the relentless screech of a guitar drags you to the end.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 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
-
An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Ignoring this reality weakens any serious climate plan.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulls. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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