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 figuratively

His 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

Those plates are variously pulling apart, smashing together, or sliding horizontally past each other, unleashing volcanos and earthquakes as a sign of the movement. —Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025

The couple fell in love as teens but were pulled apart until years later when they’re forced to confront their past. —Maggie Fremont, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025

Since these cards have to be pulled apart, there’s a higher risk of the card being damaged. —Tyler Holzhammer, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025

Its modular design means that it can be pulled apart and turned into part-seat, part-coffee table, or pushed together for extra room to lounge. —Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for pull apart

• counterpart
• art
• cart
• carte
• chart
• dart
• fart
• haart
• mart
• part
• smart
• start