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
Another activity is setting a leprechaun trap with pulleys to teach about working with objects in motion and camouflage.
—
Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The halves of each pulley move to and away from each other, changing the effective diameter of the pulleys.
—Ed Sokalski, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
But factories had been built with steam engines in their basements, powering overhead shafts that ran the length of the buildings, with belts and pulleys carrying power to individual machines.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Hands-on labs help students figure out their goals In the manufacturing and industrial robotics track, instructor Marcus Myers said students learn how gears, belts, pulleys, pneumatics, hydraulics and machining work by building and troubleshooting real systems.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pulley
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Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The halves of each pulley move to and away from each other, changing the effective diameter of the pulleys.
—Ed Sokalski, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
But factories had been built with steam engines in their basements, powering overhead shafts that ran the length of the buildings, with belts and pulleys carrying power to individual machines.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Hands-on labs help students figure out their goals In the manufacturing and industrial robotics track, instructor Marcus Myers said students learn how gears, belts, pulleys, pneumatics, hydraulics and machining work by building and troubleshooting real systems.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pulley
Cite this Entry
“Pulley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulley. Accessed 18 Mar. 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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