pullback
[poo l-bak]
- the act of pulling back, especially a retreat or a strategic withdrawal of troops; pullout.
- that which pulls something back or impedes its forward movement.
- Machinery. a device for pulling a moving part to its original position.
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Origin of pullback
First recorded in 1585–95; noun use of verb phrase pull back
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for pullback
Contemporary Examples
Even a modest hit from sanctions or pullback by foreign investors will only add to that downward spiral.
Missile strikes from warplanes and helicopter gunships and tank shelling made the pullback necessary, he says.
Battered Syrian Rebels Cede Aleppo’s Salaheddin District to Assad MilitaryJamie Dettmer
August 10, 2012
Others foresaw bloodshed between supporters of rival political parties, and cast a wary eye to a pullback of police.