Synonyms

pull through

British

verb

Also: pull round. to survive or recover or cause to survive or recover, esp after a serious illness or crisis

"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

noun

a weighted cord with a piece of cloth at the end used to clean the bore of a firearm

"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 through Idioms

Survive a difficult situation or illness, as in We've had to declare bankruptcy, but I'm sure we'll pull through. [Mid-1800s]

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 through

Platner may well pull through this in a weakened but still competitive position, while future revelations don’t land with the same punch.

From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2026

Two-time Australia champion Sabalenka had her chances, notably leading the final set 3-0, but the fifth seed retained her trademark cool to pull through.

From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026

Our star dying is an event, the authors say, that even tardigrades are not going to pull through.

From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2025

He said he was worrying about his family and his girlfriend, actress Maisie Smith, 23, in case he did not pull through.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2025

Maybe talking about Mr. T and sharing memories would help him pull through the surgery.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

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