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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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
While some competitors pull back on staff development due to industry turnover, grocers like Wegmans and Publix treat employee training as an essential investment to reduce churn and deliver a distinct customer experience. — Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026 After a passenger grabbed the copilot and pulled him out, and others grappled with the man to subdue him, Schlichter said that one of the traveling pilots practically hurtled the scrum to enter the cockpit and seize the controls. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Noun
Somewhere between a jegging and a jean exist these Liverpool Los Angeles pants, which have a comfy elastic, pull-on waist in lieu of a zipper and button closure. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026 The collection explores the disorienting pull of a space that makes its visitors lose their sense of self. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 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
  • Four of the 14 were arrested in an attempt to haul bundles of cash out of the home of the attorney general and into the back of an ambulance, Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo said.
    — Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Every chip and solar panel has to be hauled into orbit, and every answer those chips produce has to come back down.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of haul
Verb
  • Zabransky was the first person to reach Rabb in the end zone, yanking him into the air for a bear hug.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026
  • There’s also an ending that revels in a form of catharsis — for the audience watching the play, not the movie — before yanking that, too, away.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of yank
Verb
  • The move will put the mobile coastal weapon closer to Taiwan than during its previous deployment in Japan and comes as Washington and Tokyo expand their ability to operate in the islands stretching toward the Taiwan Strait.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The shoe takes visual cues from a tennis net stretched by impact into consideration, creating a design that feels fluid.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stretch
Noun
  • Electric tugs docked alongside an LNG carrier being loaded at the LNG Canada docks in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada, on Monday, July 14, 2025.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • There's Teddy, of course, who may be warming up to visitors one kiss — and possibly one hair tug — at a time.
    — Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of tug
Noun
  • The traditional Pueblo architecture has touches of Native American and Western influences, along with European and Mexican motifs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Scotlandville will no longer be represented by a native son, someone who people believed instinctively understood their challenges and offered a direct line to power and influence in the nation’s capital.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of influence
Noun
  • Koerte says this is where the longevity of Europe’s leading manufacturers could be an advantage.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Hawkeyes were held to just 238 yards as Ohio State, which had 484 yards, had almost a 17-minute advantage in time of possession.
    — John Bohnenkamp, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of advantage
Verb
  • Oil prices have stayed above $100 per barrel as the Middle East conflict dragged on with few signs of a diplomatic off-ramp.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But as the weeks dragged on, and the talks between the companies continued, Ellison and his team felt that they were not being taken seriously, and that WBD was preferencing other bidders.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Much of the fear stems from Paramount's pledge to extract more than $6 billion in annual synergies within three years of closing the merger.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When Blue Cross Blue Shield recently published research suggesting that hospitals use artificial intelligence tools to extract more money from insurers without providing additional care, people were mad.
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of extract

Phrases Containing pull

Browse Nearby Words

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 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pull

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pull

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