pull-off
noun
an act of pulling off.
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
pull off
Idioms
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:
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
However, if the U.S. is really going to pull-off such a massive shift in its energy supply, it can’t wait and lollygag around.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2021
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
“You haven’t allowed for the pull-off, and you’re slow,” Payne remarked.
From Brandon of the Engineers by Harold Bindloss
Should they pull off an upset and beat the Czechs, GB would next play the winner of the quarter-final between Kazakhstan - who are without Rybakina - and Spain on Friday.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Our reporters explore how a network—including members of an exclusive Ottawa book club—is trying to pull off one of the most consequential geopolitical shifts in modern history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Metaphorically alluding to the satirical newspaper “The Onion,” the narrator says that to pull off this operation, the team had to stick together like layers of an onion: “Never forget, onion is strength.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Judge makes their complete and utter failure to pull off a microscopic scam feel heroic.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
