pull 1 of 2

verb

ˈpu̇l How to pronounce pull (audio)
Definition of pullnext
1
as in to haul
to cause to follow by applying steady force on a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon

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Relevance

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2
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth

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3
as in to stretch
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure lift the crate carefully, or you'll pull a muscle

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pull

2 of 2

noun

1
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force I gave the door such a pull that when it suddenly opened, I nearly fell backwards

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2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly their lawyer supposedly has a lot of pull with the administration in Washington

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3
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition a political candidate with all of the pull that comes with a vast fortune and famous surname

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pull
Verb
And knowing that engineers from Tesla and SpaceX worked together to pull it off makes the technology even more interesting. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Cassandra Pasley, chief of staff at the Department of Health, was working inside that command center when a senior DeSantis aide pulled her aside. — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
Producer Khaled Homsi of Key Film says he was taken at once with the project’s emotional pull and its distinctive vision. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Very sensible shoes, like her father used to wear, pull-on Merrell’s, black leather, heavy tread; old man shoes for such a young man. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
  1. haul
  2. yank
  3. stretch
  4. tug
  5. influence
  6. advantage
  7. drag
  8. extract
Verb
  • On fourth-and-1 from the Indiana 38, Sayin launched a play-action pass toward the end zone, and Smith leaped over everyone else to haul it in for a 38-yard touchdown that put Ohio State up 19-7.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • After a brief exchange, officers hauled him into a police vehicle and drove away.
    — Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of haul
Verb
  • Ignoring that rule could get flood insurance coverage yanked for an entire community.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Now, historic preservation advocates say, the government is trying to yank the public's power away.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of yank
Verb
  • The center of the low is expected to impact North Carolina and Virginia, with effects stretching up to coastal New Jersey and down to Florida.
    — Robin Webb, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Capricorn Moon squares the Libra Sun, and a social plan or future idea could stretch your resources more than expected.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of stretch
Noun
  • Early that morning, an Argentinean naval tug had been bombed by the British, destroying its communications systems.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The knitting process is portable and easy, but the structure also means a tug on one loose end can quickly unravel the whole project.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of tug
Noun
  • Wall Street’s role in financing the AI boom and data centers, a contentious election issue, as well as its influence on housing and other affordability challenges, is also likely to draw scrutiny, said attorneys and analysts.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Mexican pop icon will receive the accolade in recognition of an exceptional career spanning over three decades and his enduring influence on Latin music.
    — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of influence
Noun
  • Ohio polling raises questions Advertisement As polling consistently shows an advantage for Acton, Republicans are increasingly arguing that the polls may be wrong by just enough to give Ramaswamy the win.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Firms that know exactly where the line sits hold quiet advantages their competitors cannot purchase or replicate.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of advantage
Verb
  • Dozens of locations in the central and southern US will soar to record high temperatures on Tuesday, but the incoming front will drag those highs down by more than 30 degrees in many locales by Friday or Saturday.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • As the comet rotates, fresh ice enters the sunlight and sublimates; the escaping gas then drags entrained dust particles away from the nucleus.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Rising global demand to extract battery metals like cobalt, nickel, and manganese makes mining increasingly likely.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Both the driver and semi were taken to the Newton-Azrak Station in Murrieta, where hazardous response specialists extracted the liquid contents from the tank, which tested positive for meth, the release said.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of extract

Phrases Containing pull

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puling
pull
pull a face
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Cite this Entry

“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pull

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pull

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