pull over

British

verb

(intr) (of a motor vehicle, driver, etc) to halt at the side of the road
(tr) (of a police officer) to instruct (the driver of a motor vehicle) to halt at the side of the road

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pull over Idioms

Bring a vehicle to the side of the road; also, instruct a motorist to stop. For example, We pulled over to ask a passerby for directions, or The state trooper pulled the speeding motorist over. [First half of 1900s]

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.

But these kinds of trips still annoy my less-tech-enthusiastic spouse, because she can’t just pull over at the next exit to recharge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Should Dante get anxious or sick, you can pull over.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

The meeting began with statements and a few ridiculous questions from pool reporters, one of which was why Zelenskyy, dressed in black pants, shoes and a pull over shirt wasn’t wearing a suit.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2025

The area was not safe for the gym owner and drone pilot from Leeds to pull over, so Mr Newby drove on, parked and returned to the spot to capture the sight on camera.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2025

The arms continued to pull, over and over.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023