pull at
verb
pulled at; pulling at; pulls at
1
: to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly
When she gets nervous, she pulls at her ear.
2
: to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
He rocked back and forth, pulling at his pipe.
Examples of pull at in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During the previous Alabama nitrogen executions, the inmates shook, pulled at the restraints and exhibited labored breathing.
—
Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
In explanation, Martinez pulls at a red thread and a green one.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Agents later pulled at least one person out of the SUV.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Or perhaps the thing that's pulling at our heartstrings is the beauty of science and the spirit of exploration exemplified by the team at NASA who put this together.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull at
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Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
In explanation, Martinez pulls at a red thread and a green one.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Agents later pulled at least one person out of the SUV.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Or perhaps the thing that's pulling at our heartstrings is the beauty of science and the spirit of exploration exemplified by the team at NASA who put this together.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pull at
Cite this Entry
“Pull at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20at. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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