pulled; pulling; pulls
1
a
: to exert force upon so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the force
b
: to stretch (cooling candy) repeatedly
pull taffy
c
: to strain abnormally
pull a tendon
d
: to hold back (a racehorse) from winning
e
: to work (an oar) by drawing back strongly
2
a
: to draw out from the skin
pull feathers from a rooster's tail
b
: to pluck from a plant or by the roots
pull flowers
pull turnips
c
: extract
pull a tooth
3
: to hit (a ball) toward the left from a right-handed swing or toward the right from a left-handed swing compare push
5
: to print (something, such as a proof) by impression
6
a
: to remove from a place or situation
pull the engine
pulled the pitcher in the third inning
pulled the show
b
: revoke
If they're caught dumping, they'll get their license pulled.—
Alexandra Alger
Alexandra Alger7
: to bring (a weapon) into the open
pulled a knife
8
b
: commit, perpetrate
pull a robbery
pull a prank
9
10
11
: to demand or obtain an advantage over someone by the assertion of
pull rank
1
a
: to use force in drawing, dragging, or tugging
b
: to move especially through the exercise of mechanical energy
the car pulled clear of the rut
c(1)
: to take a drink
(2)
: to draw hard in smoking
pulled at a pipe
d
: to strain against the bit
2
: to draw a gun
3
: to admit of being pulled
4
: to feel or express strong sympathy : root
pulling for my team to win
5
of an offensive lineman in football
: to move back from the line of scrimmage and toward one flank to provide blocking for a ballcarrier
puller
noun
often attributive
1
a
: the act or an instance of pulling
b(1)
: a draft of liquid
(2)
: an inhalation of smoke
c
: the effort expended in moving
a long pull uphill
d
: force required to overcome resistance to pulling
a trigger with a four pound pull
e
: a competition in which a heavily weighted sled is pulled by participants usually using draft animals or machines
a tractor pull
the county fair's annual ox pull
The truck pull may be one one of the machine age's weirdest mutations. Modified pickup trucks and dragsters are hooked to trailers or "sleds" weighed down with 30,000 to 40,000 pounds … They rev up their engines and slog their way across a 200-foot mud track.
2
a
b
: special influence
3
4
: a device for pulling something or for operating by pulling
a drawer pull
5
: a force that attracts, compels, or influences : attraction
6
: an injury resulting from abnormal straining or stretching
a muscle pull
a groin pull
Synonyms
Examples of pull in a Sentence
Verb
He pulled the door open and ran out.
The cat will scratch you if you keep pulling its tail.
Make a knot in the rope and pull it tight.
Pull the baby's chair closer to the table.
She pulled the blanket over her head.
We tried pushing and pulling but couldn't get the couch to move.
Grab the end of the rope and pull as hard as you can.
We spent the morning in the garden pulling weeds.
I accidentally pulled one of the buttons off my shirt.
He pulled the plug out of the socket.
Noun
She gave the door a few hard pulls and it opened.
Give the rope a pull.
He has a lot of pull in local political circles.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
—Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024
Despite the danger of unexploded ordnance and the remaining presence of Israeli troops in parts of Lebanon, the pull of home is its own powerful force.
—Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pull 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
—Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Noun
Astronomers believe Saturn accumulated the rings late in its life and maintains them in something of a balancing act – trapping them between the pull of the planet's gravity and their own orbital velocity that wants to fling them into the void of space.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024
Despite the danger of unexploded ordnance and the remaining presence of Israeli troops in parts of Lebanon, the pull of home is its own powerful force.
—Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pull
Dictionary Entries Near pull
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pull
1 of 2 verb1
: to separate forcibly from a natural or firm attachment
pull a tooth
pull up carrots
2
a
: to use force on so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the force
pull a wagon
pull at a rope
b
: to stretch repeatedly
pull taffy
c
: to strain by stretching
pull a tendon
d
: move entry 1 sense 1
the car pulled out of the driveway
3
: to draw apart : tear
4
: remove entry 1 sense 2
pulled the pitcher in the third inning
5
: to bring into the open
pulled a knife
6
: to carry out with skill or daring : commit
pull a robbery
7
: attract sense 2
pull customers
puller
noun
pull
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the act or an instance of pulling
b
: the effort put forth in pulling
a long pull uphill
2
: special influence
got his job through pull
3
: a device for pulling
a drawer pull
4
: a force that attracts or influences
the pull of gravity
5
: an injury resulting from abnormal straining or stretching
a muscle pull
Medical Definition
pull
1 of 2 transitive verb1
: extract sense 1
pull a tooth
2
: to strain or stretch abnormally
pull a tendon
pull a muscle
pull
2 of 2 noun
: an injury resulting from abnormal straining or stretching especially of a muscle see groin pull
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