pull
verb (used with object)
to draw or haul toward oneself or itself, in a particular direction, or into a particular position.
had been pulling
-
past perfect progressiveof pull.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The creatives had been pulling from ‘80s classic movies for the “nostalgia quality,” Maher said, but the challenge for him was creating something that still felt fresh and reflected Vecna’s power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2025
Brentford's Yehor Yarmoliuk had been pulling at the striker's shirt, as the Brighton man looked to race at the away goal, with the Ukrainian getting a yellow card.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2024
Senators of both parties had been pulling for his recovery.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2022
Officials said Mr. Trump even told Mr. Macron he had been pulling for him in the election.
From New York Times ● May 30, 2017
The elections had happened a few weeks earlier and everybody we knew had been pulling for Barack Obama.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
