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  • pull-up
    pull-up
    noun
    an exercise consisting of chinning oneself, as on a horizontal bar attached at each end to a doorpost.
  • pull up
    pull up
    verb
    (tr) to remove by the roots
Synonyms

pull-up

American  
[pool-uhp] / ˈpʊlˌʌp /
Or pullup

noun

  1. an exercise consisting of chinning oneself, as on a horizontal bar attached at each end to a doorpost.

  2. a flight maneuver in which an aircraft climbs sharply from level flight.


pull up British  

verb

  1. (tr) to remove by the roots

  2. to move level (with) or ahead (of) or cause to move level (with) or ahead (of), esp in a race

  3. to stop

  4. (tr) to rebuke

"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

noun

  1. an exercise in which the body is raised up by the arms pulling on a horizontal bar fixed above the head

  2. old-fashioned a roadside café

"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 up Idioms  
  1. Stop or cause to stop, as in He pulled up his horse , or They pulled up in front of the door . [Early 1600s]

  2. Catch up, advance in relation to others, as in a race. For example, She was behind at the start, but she quickly pulled up . [Late 1800s] Also see pull oneself up by one's bootstraps .


Etymology

Origin of pull-up

First recorded in 1850–55; noun use of verb phrase pull up

Vocabulary lists containing pull-up

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.

For instance, while renovating a house, Saunders turned to a chatbot to quickly pull up the relevant building regulations.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

"It's a concern. We've had cops pull up for minor things and everybody freaks out because today, even if you have your papers -- which they all do -- anything can happen," the 20-year-old said.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Immigration agents pull up to the vehicle parked in the street, get out of the truck and order the woman behind the wheel to get out of the SUV.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

The result is a 2,700-foot causeway where ferries or civilian cargo ships could pull up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

Every time we pull up to her house on our bikes, I’m like, Whoa.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

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