pullback
Americannoun
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the act of pulling back, especially a retreat or a strategic withdrawal of troops; pullout.
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that which pulls something back or impedes its forward movement.
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Machinery. a device for pulling a moving part to its original position.
Etymology
Origin of pullback
First recorded in 1585–95; noun use of verb phrase pull back
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.
The pullback in oil purchasing has acted as a shock absorber for the global economy, keeping a lid on prices, and was a big surprise to commodities traders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The pullback looks “corrective and largely related to speculative profit-taking,” Ritterbusch & Associates says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
But whether this is simply a positioning reset, or the start of a bigger pullback, remains to be seen.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Citizens has said it plans to do more real-estate lending tied to specific areas such as data centers, though its pullback in offices is causing its overall commercial real-estate loan balance to fall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
I've had a hard pullback, but all is not lost.
From Joe's Luck Always Wide Awake by Alger, Horatio
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.
