pull-down
Americanadjective
verb
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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]
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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.
See Examples For:
It included a lat pull-down, chest press, leg extensions, and cable-curl bar.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2023
The competition committee is scrutinizing the “hip-drop” tackle, a pull-down from behind that led to a broken leg for Dallas running back Tony Pollard and an ankle injury to Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2023
Click on “Newsroom” in the pull-down menu, then check under the “Reports and Publications” heading.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
Q: We need a new kitchen faucet but I’m confused with my pullout or pull-down choices.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2022
The small pull-down door that connected the built-in buffet in the dining room to the kitchen counter had not been closed all the way.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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They told Anthropic it had 90 minutes to pull down the model and didn’t provide details about the security risk, the source close to the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
The “swift” change in fuel costs and the impact on already fragile industry profitability is likely to force airlines to pull down supply, the analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
Many economists are bracing for officials to pull down their expectations for the economy.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
Tangled up with a Georgia Southern defender, Lane needed just a single outstretched arm to pull down the Trojans’ first score.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2025
He would pull down the shades of the room so that there would be only the bright light and the books and the feeling of meditation.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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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.