plural pull-ups
: an exercise in which one hangs by the hands from a support (such as a horizontal bar) and pulls oneself up until the chin is level with the support
specifically
: such an exercise done with the palms facing outward compare chin-up
pulled up; pulling up; pulls up
1
a
: to check oneself
b
: to come to an often abrupt halt : stop
2
: to draw even with others in a race
Examples of pull-up in a Sentence
Verb
the jockey tried to pull up the apparently injured horse
Recent Examples on the Web
John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 June 2025
After taking three shots at the rim (2-for-3), two mid-range pull-ups (1-for-2) and two 3-pointers (1-for-2) in Game 2, Mathurin once again enjoyed quality looks in Game 3.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Emily Witt, New Yorker, 11 June 2025
Haliburton drove to his right, stopped hard to create an inch of space against the Thunder’s suffocating defense and pulled up with a jump shot.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull-up
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.
Noun
For Williams, the pull-ups going left have abandoned him suddenly.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 June 2025
After taking three shots at the rim (2-for-3), two mid-range pull-ups (1-for-2) and two 3-pointers (1-for-2) in Game 2, Mathurin once again enjoyed quality looks in Game 3.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Verb
Around five, a black pickup truck pulled up to the crowd and began unloading boxes containing face shields and other protective gear.
—Emily Witt, New Yorker, 11 June 2025
Haliburton drove to his right, stopped hard to create an inch of space against the Thunder’s suffocating defense and pulled up with a jump shot.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull-up
Cite this Entry
“Pull-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull-up. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share