pull-down
Americanadjective
verb
-
Demolish, destroy, as in They pulled down several old office buildings downtown . [Early 1500s]
-
Lower, reduce; also, depress in health or spirits. For example, The bumper wheat crop is bound to pull down prices , or The flu really pulled him down . [Late 1500s]
-
Draw as wages, as in He pulled down a hefty salary . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]
Etymology
Origin of pull-down
First recorded in 1905–10; adj. use of verb phrase pull down
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.
“Will be interesting to see how spiking gas prices pull down the two lower legs of the E,” another user wrote.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
For U.S. corporations already struggling to defend profits in the face of rising costs before the conflict, any further squeeze could pull down estimates.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
“If they’re running up against the 22% price increase year-to-date, they may pull down their buying programs to see if they can buy a dip, or they can buy when prices stabilize.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
Then he made an even more spectacular play, leaping to pull down a 45-yard reception between two stunned Sierra Canyon defenders.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2024
My best face is when I push up my nose with my pinkies at the same time that I pull down on my lower eyelids with my index fingers.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.