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
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
These festive paper table decorations make a loud popping sound when pulled apart by their ends.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Related article Astronomers’ discovery of distant Milky Way-like galaxy challenges our theories of how cosmos evolved
Euclid is designed to observe billions of galaxies that stretch 10 billion light-years away to reveal how matter may have been stretched and pulled apart by dark energy over time.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pull apart
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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
These festive paper table decorations make a loud popping sound when pulled apart by their ends.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Related article Astronomers’ discovery of distant Milky Way-like galaxy challenges our theories of how cosmos evolved
Euclid is designed to observe billions of galaxies that stretch 10 billion light-years away to reveal how matter may have been stretched and pulled apart by dark energy over time.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pull apart
Cite this Entry
“Pull apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20apart. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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