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• pull-down
  pull-down

  adjective

  designed to be pulled down for use.
• pull down
  pull down

  verb

  (tr, adverb) to destroy or demolish

pull-down

American  

[pool-doun] / ˈpʊlˌdaʊn /

adjective

1. designed to be pulled down for use.

   a pull-down bed; a desk with a pull-down front.

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pull down British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to destroy or demolish

   the old houses were pulled down

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pull down Idioms  

1. Demolish, destroy, as in They pulled down several old office buildings downtown . [Early 1500s]

2. 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]

3. Draw as wages, as in He pulled down a hefty salary . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of pull-down

First recorded in 1905–10; adj. use of verb phrase pull down

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pull-down pull down

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

So the Mazureks added a Murphy bed — essentially a pull-down wall bed — to their living room, turning it into a space they could use as a bedroom at night.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2022

We’d sit in a small hall with a rickety projector showing some family-oriented fare on a white pull-down screen.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Is it damaging for artists’ careers to pull down dates over low sales?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 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

“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

I go to Grammy’s closet and pull down the picture album.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt