pull
Americanverb (used with object)
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pulls,
present (3rd person singular)
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pulled,
past participle, past
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pulling
present participle
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to draw or haul toward oneself or itself, in a particular direction, or into a particular position.
We pulled the sled up a hill.
She pulled the child out of the path of the swerving bicycle.
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to draw or tug at with force.
To ring the bell, just pull the rope.
- Antonyms:
- push
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to rend or tear.
to pull a cloth to pieces.
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to draw or pluck away from a place of growth, attachment, etc..
to pull a tooth;
to pull weeds.
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to strip of feathers, hair, etc., as a bird or hide.
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to draw out (as a knife or gun) for ready use (usually followed byon ).
Do you know what to do when someone pulls a knife on you?
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Informal. to perform successfully (often followed byoff ).
They pulled a spectacular coup.
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Informal. to carry out (especially something deceitful or illegal).
Police believe the men pulled all three robberies. What kind of trick did she pull this time?
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to put on or affect.
He pulled a long face when I reprimanded him.
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to withdraw or remove.
to pull an ineffective pitcher.
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to attract or win.
to pull many votes in the industrial areas.
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to bring (a horse) to a stand by pulling on the reins.
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Printing, Graphics. to take (an impression or proof ) from type, a cut or plate, etc..
to pull a print.
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to be provided with or rowed with (a certain number of oars).
This boat pulls 12 oars.
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to propel by rowing, as a boat.
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to strain (a muscle, ligament, or tendon).
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to stretch (taffy or chewing gum).
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Military. to be assigned (a specific task or duty).
I pulled guard duty our first night in port.
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to hold in or check (a racehorse), especially so as to prevent from winning.
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Sports. to hit (a ball) so that it travels in a direction opposite to the side from which it was struck, as when a right-handed batter hits into left field.
verb (used without object)
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pulls,
present (3rd person singular)
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pulled,
past participle, past
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pulling
present participle
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to exert a drawing, tugging, or hauling force (often followed byat ).
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to inhale through a pipe, cigarette, etc.
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to become or come as specified, by being pulled.
This rope will pull.
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to row.
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to proceed by rowing.
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(of an advertisement)
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to have effectiveness, as specified.
The ad pulled badly.
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to be effective.
That spot announcement really pulled!
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noun
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pulls
plural
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the act of pulling or drawing.
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force used in pulling; pulling power.
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a drawing in of smoke or a liquid through the mouth: I took a pull from the scout's canteen.
He took a long, thoughtful pull on his pipe.
I took a pull from the scout's canteen.
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Informal. influence, as with persons able to grant favors.
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a part or thing to be pulled; a handle or the like.
to replace the pulls on a chest of drawers.
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a spell, or turn, at rowing.
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a stroke of an oar.
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Informal. a pulled muscle.
He missed a week's work with a groin pull.
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a pulling of the ball, as in baseball or golf.
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Informal. the ability to attract; drawing power.
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Informal. an advantage over another or others.
verb phrase
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pull off to perform successfully, especially something requiring courage, daring, or shrewdness.
We'll be rich if we can pull the deal off.
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pull out
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to leave; depart.
The ship pulled out of the harbor.
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to abandon abruptly.
to pull out of an agreement.
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pull away
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to move or draw back or away; withdraw.
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to free oneself with force.
He tried to pull away from his opponent's powerful grip.
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to move or start to move ahead.
The car pulled away into traffic. The faster runners began to pull away from the others.
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pull for to support actively; encourage.
They were pulling for the Republican candidate.
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pull in
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to reach a place; arrive.
The train pulled in early.
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to tighten; curb.
to pull in the reins.
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Informal. to arrest (someone).
The police pulled her in for questioning.
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pull up
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to bring or come to a halt.
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to bring or draw closer.
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to root up; pull out.
She pulled up all the crab grass in the lawn.
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pull down
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to draw downward.
to pull a shade down.
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to demolish; wreck.
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to lower; reduce.
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Informal. to receive as a salary; earn.
It wasn't long before he was pulling down more than two hundred thousand a year.
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pull through to come safely through (a crisis, illness, etc.); survive.
The patient eventually pulled through after having had a close brush with death.
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pull over to direct one's automobile or other vehicle to the curb; move out of a line of traffic.
The police officer told the driver to pull over.
idioms
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pull apart, to analyze critically, especially to point out errors.
The professor proceeded to pull the student's paper apart.
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pull the plug on. plug.
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pull someone's leg. leg.
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pull oneself together, to recover one's self-control; regain command of one's emotions.
It was only a minor accident, but the driver couldn't seem to pull himself together.
verb
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(also intr) to exert force on (an object) so as to draw it towards the source of the force
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to exert force on so as to remove; extract
to pull a tooth
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to strip of feathers, hair, etc; pluck
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to draw the entrails from (a fowl)
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to rend or tear
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to strain (a muscle, ligament, or tendon) injuriously
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informal (usually foll by off) to perform or bring about
to pull off a million-pound deal
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informal (often foll by on) to draw out (a weapon) for use
he pulled a knife on his attacker
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informal to attract
the pop group pulled a crowd
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slang (also intr) to attract (a sexual partner)
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(intr; usually foll by on or at) to drink or inhale deeply
to pull at one's pipe
pull on a bottle of beer
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to put on or make (a grimace)
to pull a face
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(also intr; foll by away, out, over, etc) to move (a vehicle) or (of a vehicle) be moved in a specified manner
he pulled his car away from the roadside
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printing to take (a proof) from type
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to withdraw or remove
the board decided to pull their support
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sport to hit (a ball) so that it veers away from the direction in which the player intended to hit it (to the left for a right-handed player)
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cricket to hit (a ball pitched straight or on the off side) to the leg side
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hurling to strike (a fast-moving ball) in the same direction as it is already moving
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(also intr) to row (a boat) or take a stroke of (an oar) in rowing
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to be rowed by
a racing shell pulls one, two, four, or eight oars
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(of a rider) to restrain (a horse), esp to prevent it from winning a race
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(intr) (of a horse) to resist strongly the attempts of a rider to rein in or check it
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slang to play a sly trick
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to criticize harshly
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informal be quiet!
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informal to restrain the force of one's criticisms or actions
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boxing to restrain the force of one's blows, esp when deliberately losing after being bribed, etc
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informal to do one's fair or proper share of a task
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informal to exercise personal influence, esp secretly or unofficially
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informal to make fun of, fool, or tease someone
noun
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an act or an instance of pulling or being pulled
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the force or effort used in pulling
the pull of the moon affects the tides on earth
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the act or an instance of taking in drink or smoke
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something used for pulling, such as a knob or handle
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informal special advantage or influence
his uncle is chairman of the company, so he has quite a lot of pull
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informal the power to attract attention or support
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a period of rowing
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a single stroke of an oar in rowing
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the act of pulling the ball in golf, cricket, etc
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the act of checking or reining in a horse
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the amount of resistance in a bowstring, trigger, etc
Synonym Usage
See draw.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pullsimple
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pullssimple
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have pulledperfect
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has pulledperfect
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am pullingprogressive
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are pullingprogressive
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is pullingprogressive
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have been pullingperfect progressive
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has been pullingperfect progressive
Past
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pulledsimple
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had pulledperfect
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was pullingprogressive
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were pullingprogressive
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had been pullingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pull
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb pullen, Old English pullian “to pluck, pluck the feathers of, pull, tug”; compare Middle Low German pūlen “to strip off husks, pick,” Old Norse pūla “to work hard”
Explanation
To pull is to use force to drag or yank something toward you. You might pull a rolling suitcase as you run to catch your train, for example. A horse pulls a carriage, and a tow truck pulls your dead car along the highway. You can also pull the cord on the bus that signals the driver to stop, and the kid next to you might pull on your jacket to ask if he can take your seat. A magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat by grasping it and lifting, and a sad story pulls at your heart (figuratively) — it exerts a force on your emotions.
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:
As insurance, I tuck my shirt in, pull my socks over my pant legs, and wear ankle-covering gaiters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
But the trade can only resist the pull of rising rates for so long, Colas said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 4, 2026
The worry is that investors facing a sea of red in their fixed-income portfolios could become forced sellers or pull money from bond funds that have been flush with inflows in 2026.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
Leicester were made to pay for their profligacy when George McGuigan's pick-and-go enabled him to drive over from close range to help pull the deficit back to five points.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
‘What is it?’ said Renn, taking a pull at the waterskin.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
A hurricane is an engine that pulls in heat and is rotated by wind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
These streams develop when the gravity of the surrounding host galaxy gradually pulls stars away from the globular cluster through a process called tidal stripping.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
In her household, she pulls in an annual income Forbes estimates at $7.5 million.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Josh pulls back the curtain to reveal what he saw inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at 3 a.m.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
He puts a compress bandage directly over the wound and pulls Phineas's nightcap down tightly over it.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Even then, there was drama, as Russell pulled off just before Turn One with five laps to go before the safety car had even ended.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The yoke is pulled back in the final seconds, subjecting the jet to a peak vertical G-force of 3.08.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The day before the attack, James had pulled off a fine save in a 1-1 draw with Bottesford Town in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Production workers in Los Angeles have felt a double whammy as other states and countries have offered generous tax subsidies that have pulled productions from L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Wolf raced him and easily won, but then pulled back to let Torak catch up.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
If present, primordial magnetic fields would speed up recombination by pushing and pulling on charged particles, making matter slightly clumpy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
One young fan mused, “Is Nixon pulling off the greatest posthumous political comeback in history?”
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
When the U.S. finished pulling out of Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, it imperiled the lives of every Afghan who had helped, including the Institute of Peace’s local staff and their families.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
A humanoid’s knees rely on linear actuators, which are made up of similar components but translate rotation into a linear movement: pulling, lifting and so on.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Then his arms were around me too, pulling me tight against him.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
