Illustration of pulley
- pulley 2
plural pulleys
1
: a sheave or small wheel with a grooved rim and with or without the block in which it runs used singly with a rope or chain to change the direction and point of application of a pulling force and in various combinations to increase the applied force especially for lifting weights
2
: a pulley or pulleys with ropes to form a tackle that constitutes one of the simple machines
3
: a wheel used to transmit power by means of a band, belt, cord, rope, or chain passing over its rim
Examples of pulley in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the same time, actually building the mechanism and assembling all the gears and pulleys is a little crash course in engineering and construction that's sure to get their own brain's cogs turning.
—
Ian Stokes, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The mechanism is controlled by a central pulley system as opposed to complex hardware to help keep weight down.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2026
Instead of an electric actuator at each front corner, Dethleffs has gone with a central cable pulley system that lifts and lowers both corners from the center.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
When the last minute of the year arrived, workers lowered the ball using a complex pulley system.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pulley
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Ian Stokes, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The mechanism is controlled by a central pulley system as opposed to complex hardware to help keep weight down.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2026
Instead of an electric actuator at each front corner, Dethleffs has gone with a central cable pulley system that lifts and lowers both corners from the center.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
When the last minute of the year arrived, workers lowered the ball using a complex pulley system.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pulley
Cite this Entry
“Pulley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulley. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pulley
noun
pul·ley
ˈpu̇l-ē 
plural pulleys
: a small wheel with a grooved rim used with a rope or chain to change the direction of a pulling force and in combination to increase the force applied for lifting
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