pull-up
Americannoun
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an exercise consisting of chinning oneself, as on a horizontal bar attached at each end to a doorpost.
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a flight maneuver in which an aircraft climbs sharply from level flight.
verb
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(tr) to remove by the roots
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to move level (with) or ahead (of) or cause to move level (with) or ahead (of), esp in a race
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to stop
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(tr) to rebuke
noun
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an exercise in which the body is raised up by the arms pulling on a horizontal bar fixed above the head
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old-fashioned a roadside café
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Stop or cause to stop, as in He pulled up his horse , or They pulled up in front of the door . [Early 1600s]
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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
Physical Education - Introductory
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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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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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.