pull-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈpu̇l-ˌəp 

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

pull up

2 of 2

verb

pulled up; pulling up; pulls up

transitive verb

1

: to bring to a stop : halt

2

: check, rebuke

intransitive verb

1

a

: to check oneself

b

: to come to an often abrupt halt : stop

2

: to draw even with others in a race

Synonyms

Verb

• arrest
• bring up
• catch
• check
• draw up
• fetch up
• halt
• hold up
• stall
• stay
• still
• stop

Examples of pull-up in a Sentence

Verb

the jockey tried to pull up the apparently injured horse

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Aday Mara had completed a series of pull-ups and curls, not to mention a few delicate minutes walking backward on a high-performance treadmill, when the strain of his post-practice training started to show. —Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025

Entering the game against Washington on Friday, LaVine was drilling a ridiculously efficient 45.2% of his pull-up three-pointers, which accounts for 4.2 of his nightly attempts. —Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

Verb

Humphrey pulled up to the camp in a brand-new orange Corvette. —Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025

Plants are organized by region; Romero and I started in the Americas, pulling up to an eight-foot-tall Brazilian grape tree, known for the gumball-size purple berries that grow directly on its trunk. —Nora Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1623, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1