pull apart
phrasal verb
pulled apart; pulling apart; pulls apart
1
: to be separated into parts or pieces by pulling
The rolls pull apart easily.
2
: to separate or break (something) into parts or pieces
She pulled the rolls apart with her hands.
—sometimes used figurativelyHis gambling problem is pulling the family apart.
3
: to separate (people or animals) in order to stop a fight
Customers stepped in and pulled the two men apart.
Examples of pull apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Crews stretched multiple hose lines and had to pull apart walls to fight the flames, according to a spokesperson for the FDNY.
—
T. Michelle Murphy, ABC News, 2 Dec. 2024
Tissue paper is fragile and can rip if it's not pulled apart gently.
—Katherine Lee, Parents, 30 July 2024
The United States and the rest of the international community feared that Afghanistan's rival ethnic groups would use their regional power bases to pull apart any unitary state, forming in its place independent ministates or aligning with their ethnic brethren across Afghanistan's borders.
—Thomas Barfield, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2011
And along it, tectonic plates are pulling apart, including in Iceland.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pull apart 
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.
T. Michelle Murphy, ABC News, 2 Dec. 2024
Tissue paper is fragile and can rip if it's not pulled apart gently.
—Katherine Lee, Parents, 30 July 2024
The United States and the rest of the international community feared that Afghanistan's rival ethnic groups would use their regional power bases to pull apart any unitary state, forming in its place independent ministates or aligning with their ethnic brethren across Afghanistan's borders.
—Thomas Barfield, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2011
And along it, tectonic plates are pulling apart, including in Iceland.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pull apart
Dictionary Entries Near pull apart
Cite this Entry
“Pull apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20apart. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share