pull-off

American

[pool-awf, -of] / ˈpʊlˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

an act of pulling off.

The inn is well worth a pull-off from the Interstate.
a rest area at the side of a road where vehicles may park.

pull off British

verb

to remove (clothing) forcefully
(adverb) to succeed in performing (a difficult feat)
(intr) (of a motor vehicle, driver, etc) to move to the side of the road and stop
(intr) (of a motor vehicle, driver, etc) to start to move

"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 off Idioms

Accomplish, bring off, especially in the face of difficulties or at the last minute. For example, I never thought we'd ever stage this play, but somehow we pulled it off. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of pull-off

First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase pull off

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:

pull-off pull off

Maryland transportation officials and Franchot’s office later said the comptroller had no influence on the Maryland State Highway Administration’s decision to reject the pull-off area, known as a layby, for safety reasons.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 27, 2022

Past the Oxford Casino and views of distant mountains, Route 26 parallels the Little Androscoggin River through Paris to Snow Falls, a popular pull-off for the waterfalls and picnic area.

From New York Times ● Oct. 2, 2020

McLeod gave a number of reasons for the decision, including the lack of a designated pull-off area for vehicles.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2017

It is not so much a town as a pull-off on the side of the road.

From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2017

The light pull-off enables a steady shooter to make surpassingly fine diagrams.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 530, February 27, 1886 by Various

"He watched the entire movie and had tears in his eyes. He hugged me. He said, 'Bubu, the role you have performed, I wouldn't be able to pull off even in seven lifetimes.'"

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

With games against the Chargers, at Washington and at Arizona before their bye, the Rams could be primed to pull off another turnaround and playoff drive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Market volatility around the U.S. midterm elections could make any new planned equity raises trickier to pull off.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

Some went to Canada, though that was hard to pull off without immediate family already there.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

Two, Agent Fiona is definitely cool enough to pull off a winged chariot.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

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