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
Before long, the living room is reduced to a bare stage, upon which only a couple of pulleys and switches are visible.
—
Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
The Broncos, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office, Denver Water and community groups have all begun placing the figurative dominoes, toy race cars and pulley system that will make up the process to build the stadium.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
The latch that connected the vehicle to the pulley was released ahead of the impact to allow IIHS to measure the damage of a full speed crash.
—Keith Laing, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The historic facade opens onto a vast, contemporary lobby and bar, where the original steel trusses and pulley lights hang over the room.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pulley
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Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
The Broncos, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office, Denver Water and community groups have all begun placing the figurative dominoes, toy race cars and pulley system that will make up the process to build the stadium.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
The latch that connected the vehicle to the pulley was released ahead of the impact to allow IIHS to measure the damage of a full speed crash.
—Keith Laing, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The historic facade opens onto a vast, contemporary lobby and bar, where the original steel trusses and pulley lights hang over the room.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 31 May 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 17 Jun. 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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