verb | noun
pullpull1 /pʊl/ ●●● S1 W1 verb 1
MOVE somebody/something TOWARD YOU [intransitive, transitive] to use your hands to make someone or something move toward you or in the direction of your hand: He grabbed the handle and pulled hard. Mom, Ellie’s pulling my hair!pull something into/onto/away etc. Help me pull the trunk into the corner. “Come here,” he said, pulling her toward him.pull something open/shut Tim got in the car and pulled the door shut.pull something up/down I got in bed and pulled up the covers.THESAURUStug – to pull something suddenly with a quick, often repeated, movement: The little boy was tugging at her sleeve.drag – to pull something along the ground, especially because it is too heavy to carry: We had to drag the mattress into the room.haul – to pull something big and heavy using a lot of effort, especially using a rope: Fishermen hauled in their nets full of fish.tow – to pull a vehicle along, using a rope or chain: The pickup truck in front of us was towing a boat.draw – to pull something or someone gently in a particular direction. Used especially in writing: He put his arm around her and drew her closer.2MAKE something FOLLOW YOU to use a rope, chain, your hands, etc. to make something move behind you in the direction that you are moving: The train was pulling 64 boxcars.pull something behind/after/along etc. He goes by here every day pulling that little wagon behind him.3REMOVE WITH FORCE [transitive] to use force to take something out of the place where it is attached or held: She’s going to have her wisdom teeth pulled.pull something out/up/off etc. Some kid had pulled the doll’s head off.4MOVE YOUR BODY [transitive always + adv./prep.] a)to move your body or a part of your body away from someone or something: pull something away/off/out etc. Janice pulled her hand out of the cookie jar guiltily.pull yourself/something free He tried to pull his leg free but it was stuck. b)to hold onto something and use your strength to move your body somewhere: pull yourself up/through etc. Bobby had to pull himself up out of the hole.5TAKE something OUT [transitive always + adv./prep.] to take something out of a pocket, bag, etc. with your hand: pull something ↔ out She reached in her bag and pulled out her lipstick.pull something from/out of something Ben pulled a pen from his pocket.6CLOTHING [transitive always + adv./prep.] to put on or take off clothing, usually quickly: pull something on/off/up/down He ran out the door, pulling on his shirt as he went. She bent over to pull up her socks.7MUSCLE [transitive] medicine to injure one of your muscles by stretching it too much during physical activity SYN strain: Lift it carefully, or you’ll pull a muscle.► see thesaurus at hurt18pull strings to secretly use your influence with important people in order to get what you want or to help someone else: Marsha pulled strings to get her daughter the job.9pull the/somebody’s strings to control something or someone, especially when you are not the person who is supposed to be controlling it: Who is really pulling the strings at the White House?10pull your weight to do your share of the work: If you don’t start pulling your weight around here, you’re fired.11pull a gun/knife (on somebody) to take out a gun or knife ready to use it12TRICK/JOKE/LIE a)pull a stunt/trick/joke/prank etc. informal to do something that annoys or harms other people: The boys are always pulling practical jokes. b)[transitive] spoken to deceive or trick someone: What are you trying to pull? Are you trying to pull a fast one on me?13VEHICLE a)[intransitive, transitive] to drive slowly onto or off of a road: pull (something) onto/into/over etc. He pulled onto the road and drove away. b)[intransitive] if a vehicle pulls to the left or right as you are driving, it moves in that direction because of a problem with its machinery: The car seems to be pulling to the left. c)pull to a stop/halt if a vehicle or the driver pulls to a stop or halt, the vehicle moves more slowly and then stops moving14USE A CONTROL [transitive] to move a control such as a switch or trigger toward you to make a piece of equipment work: She raised the gun and pulled the trigger.15MAKE somebody/something NOT TAKE PART [transitive] to remove someone from an organization, activity, etc., so that he or she does not take part anymore: The team was pulled at the last minute.pull somebody/something from something She was angry enough to pull her kids from the school.16NATURAL FORCE [transitive] science, physics if a force such as gravity pulls something, it affects it and may make it move toward where the force is coming from17ATTRACT/INFLUENCE [transitive] to make someone want to do something by attracting or influencing him or her SYN draw: pull somebody toward something Recently, I’ve felt pulled toward a career in medicine.pull somebody in different/opposite directions (=influence someone to want to do two or more different things)18pull somebody’s leg informal to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke: I think he was just pulling your leg.19not pull any punches informal to express your disapproval or criticism very clearly, without trying to hide what you feel: The report doesn’t pull any punches in criticizing the administration.20pull the curtains/blinds to open or close curtains or blinds SYN draw21something is like pulling teeth used to say that it is very difficult or unpleasant to persuade someone to do something: Getting the kids to do their homework was like pulling teeth.22pull somebody’s license informal to take away someone’s license (=special permission) to do something, especially to drive a car, because he or she has done something wrong23pull a punch to deliberately hit someone with less force than you could use so that it hurts less24CROWD/VOTES ETC. [transitive] if an event, performer, etc. pulls crowds or a politician pulls a lot of votes, a lot of people come to see them or vote for them SYN draw: Bagert is expected to pull just enough votes to win.25BASEBALL/GOLF [intransitive, transitive] to hit the ball in baseball, golf, etc. so that it does not go straight but moves to one side26ROW A BOAT [intransitive, transitive] to make a boat move by using oars[Origin: Old English pullian] → see also pull yourself up by your bootstraps at bootstraps, tear/pull your hair out at hair (6), pull the plug at plug1 (7), pull rank (on somebody) at rank1 (5), pull the rug (out) from under somebody at rug (2), pull the wool over somebody’s eyes at wool (4), push1pull ahead phrasal verb1to get in front of another person, vehicle, animal, etc. by moving faster than he or she does, especially in a race2to start to make progress faster than someone else or do better than he or she does: pull ahead of somebody One poll showed him pulling ahead of his rivals.pull apart phrasal verb1pull something ↔ apart to separate something into two or more pieces or groups: Pull apart the dough into four equal pieces.2pull somebody/something apart to upset someone or make the relationship between people difficult, especially so that a family, group, country, etc. becomes divided: My father’s drinking problem pulled the family apart.3pull something ↔ apart to carefully examine or criticize something: The selection committee pulled each proposal apart.4pull somebody ↔ apart to separate people or animals when they are fighting5 if something pulls apart, it breaks into pieces when you pull on it: Barbecued ribs should pull apart easily with your fingers.pull at something phrasal verb to take a hold of something and pull it several times SYN pull on: The old man pulled thoughtfully at his beard.pull away phrasal verb1to move away from someone quickly when he or she is trying to touch you or hold you: I tried to kiss her but she pulled away.2to start to drive away from a place where you had stopped: He waved as he pulled away.pull away from The bus had already pulled away from the bus stop.3to move ahead of a competitor by going faster or being more successful: In the final quarter the Bulls pulled away, winning 105–80.pull back phrasal verb1pull something ↔ back if an army pulls back or a leader pulls it back, it leaves its present position and moves to a position that is less threatening or dangerous: pull (something) back from something The army was pulling back from the east. → see also pullback2 to suddenly move your body away from someone or something SYN draw back3 to decide not to do or become involved in something: Foreign investors have pulled back recently.pull down phrasal verb1pull something ↔ down to destroy something or make it stop existing: Houses were pulled down to make way for a new highway.2pull down something informal to earn a particular amount of money at your job: He pulls down at least $65,000 a year.3pull somebody/something ↔ down to make someone or something less successful: There are worries that low sales could pull the economy down.4pull down a menu to make a computer program show you a list of the things it can do → see also pull-downpull for somebody/something phrasal verb informal to encourage a person or team to succeed: Which team are you pulling for?pull in phrasal verb1pull something ↔ in informal if you pull in a lot of money, you earn it: Smith will pull in about $1.2 million a year.2pull something ↔ in to move a car into a particular space and stop it: Ken pulled in behind me and parked.3pull something ↔ in to get money, business, etc. by doing something to attract people’s attention: Hall pulled in 58% of the vote.4pull something in if an event, a show, etc. pulls in a lot of people, they go to it or see it: The movie was still pulling in crowds after 18 weeks.5 if a train pulls in, it arrives at a station6pull somebody ↔ in if the police pull someone in, they take him or her to a police station because they think he or she may have done something wrongpull off phrasal verb1pull something ↔ off informal to succeed in doing something difficult: The Huskies pulled off a win in Saturday’s game.2pull off to drive a car off a road to stop or to turn onto another road: We pulled off for a bite to eat.pull off the road/highway/freeway etc. Pull off the road so we can check the map.pull on something phrasal verb1to take a hold of something and pull it several times SYN pull at: Stop pulling on my skirt.2to take smoke from a pipe or cigarette into your lungspull out phrasal verb1 to drive onto a road from another road, or from where you have stopped: pull out of Be careful when you pull out of the driveway.2 to stop doing something or being involved in something: pull out of They’re trying to pull out of the deal.3pull somebody/something ↔ out to remove someone from a situation that he or she has been involved in: pull somebody out of something After the injury, he had to pull out of the race.4pull somebody/something ↔ out if a country or its army pulls out of a place or its leaders pull it out, its army leaves that place: Most of the troops have been pulled out.pull out of UN forces have begun to pull out of the region. → see also pullout15 if a train pulls out, it leaves a station6pull out all the stops to do everything you can in order to make something succeed: Fred’s pulling out all the stops for his daughter’s wedding.pull somebody/something ↔ over phrasal verb to drive to the side of a road and stop your car, or to make someone do this: I got pulled over for speeding.pull through phrasal verb1pull somebody through (something) to stay alive after you have been very sick or badly injured, or help someone do this: We’re all praying that he’ll pull through.2pull through something to succeed in dealing with a very difficult situation: The city managed to pull through its financial crisis.pull together phrasal verb1 if a group of people pull together, they all work hard to achieve something: After the hurricane, neighbors pulled together to help each other.2pull yourself together to force yourself to stop behaving in a nervous, frightened, or disorganized way: Pull yourself together – you don’t want him to see you crying like that.3pull something ↔ together to organize something that is not organized and make it work more effectively: It must have been a lot of work pulling a show like that together.pull up phrasal verb1 to stop the vehicle that you are driving: Who is that pulling up out front?2pull up a chair/stool etc. to get a chair and sit down next to someone who is already sitting3pull something ↔ up to use force to take plants out of the ground4pull somebody up short to make someone suddenly stop doing or thinking a particular thing verb | noun
pullpull2 ●○○ noun 1ACT OF PULLING [countable] an act of using force to move something toward you or in the same direction that you are moving: He gave the cord a pull.2FORCE [countable usually singular] science, physics a strong force such as gravity, that makes things move in a particular direction: The Moon’s pull on the Earth causes ocean tides.3INFLUENCE [singular, uncountable] informal special influence that gives you an unfair advantage: The senator has a lot of pull with the Republicans in Congress.4ATTRACTION [uncountable] the ability to attract people: He could not resist the pull of life in the big city.5MUSCLE [countable] medicine an injury to one of your muscles caused by stretching it too much during exercise: Marty can’t play in today’s game because he has a groin pull.6HANDLE [countable] a rope or handle that you use to pull something7BASEBALL/GOLF [countable] a way of hitting the ball in baseball or golf so that it does not go straight, but moves to one side8SMOKE [countable] an act of taking the smoke from a cigarette, pipe, etc. into your lungs9DRINK [countable] an act of taking a long drink of something: I took one last pull from the water jug.