1
2
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort
the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
I gave the door such a pull that when it suddenly opened, I nearly fell backwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
their lawyer supposedly has a lot of pull with the administration in Washington
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
a political candidate with all of the pull that comes with a vast fortune and famous surname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pull
Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of true love pull Nicholas and Isabel together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2023
Wes Siler, Outside Online, 26 Mar. 2025
The gravitational pull of the U.S. should not be dismissed; some countries will inevitably follow his lead.
—Justin Worland/bridgetown, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
During the event, Riley wore black boots, a black dress, held a black and gold bag, and rocked a pair of massive gold hoops to pull it all together.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of true love pull Nicholas and Isabel together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
But with interior options consisting of pick-and-pluck foam, or nothing at all, and with only two wheels dictating a single direction of pull, I wasn’t sold.
—Wes Siler, Outside Online, 26 Mar. 2025
The gravitational pull of the U.S. should not be dismissed; some countries will inevitably follow his lead.
—Justin Worland/bridgetown, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
-
On Sunday, Teichert Construction, based in Sacramento, began using trucks, front loaders and other equipment to start hauling away the main pile blocking both lanes.—
Paul Rogers,
The Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
-
While consensus across Europe is difficult to achieve, several countries have made concerted efforts to haul up their own defense budgets.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Present-day mid-level leaders are already being stretched like never before.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Tree, grass and weed pollen each have different seasons, with peaks stretching from the spring all the way into the fall.—
Mark Gongloff,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Season 3 tugs a similar string by dedicating Episode 7 to two instrumental moments from Ian and Poppy’s childhood.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Downy’s version also acts as a fabric freshener and only requires a spritz on the fabric, plus a tug and smooth to release the wrinkles.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That economic footprint is matched by political and organizational influence.—
Ronak D. Desai,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
When a 1999 Top 100 list by a gay and lesbian publishing group failed to include Patricia Nell-Warren’s 1974 novel The Front Runner, many readers loudly objected, noting its influence on their own coming-out journeys.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Those who embrace these technologies now will likely find themselves with a considerable advantage in the increasingly competitive digital landscape.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
And Osceola will continue to have homecourt advantage in the Finals against Stockton.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The average is dragged lower by the three most recent economic contractions, which were all atypical.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Watkins combines that with intelligent runs in behind, dragging defenders with him.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Two nights after being yanked in the first period in Tampa Bay, Jarry again was pulled after allowing four goals, this time on 12 shots.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
President Donald Trump’s decision to yank the nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is the latest sign Republicans have a special election problem.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Trump's most expansive tariffs to date and larger than most experts expected ‒ could further hurt a weakening economy, send the stock market plummeting and even lead to a recession.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Republicans at the Capitol understand this is going to hurt not just Americans, but their own political futures.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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