1
2
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort
the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
I gave the door such a pull that when it suddenly opened, I nearly fell backwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
their lawyer supposedly has a lot of pull with the administration in Washington
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
a political candidate with all of the pull that comes with a vast fortune and famous surname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pull
Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
The Keller Indians pulled one out of their hat in their District 4-6A opener against Justin Northwest on Friday night at Keller ISD Stadium.
—Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
These kumbaya platitudes feel out of place when battered and bloody boys are dropping like flies, but that works to the film’s advantage, laying the groundwork for the final rug-pull.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
Tyrrell Hatton had a barnstorming Saturday afternoon to pull himself well into contention coming into Sunday.
—Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
The Keller Indians pulled one out of their hat in their District 4-6A opener against Justin Northwest on Friday night at Keller ISD Stadium.
—Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
These black holes are born when massive stars reach the end of their nuclear fuel and can no longer support themselves against their own inward gravitational pull.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
These kumbaya platitudes feel out of place when battered and bloody boys are dropping like flies, but that works to the film’s advantage, laying the groundwork for the final rug-pull.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
-
Jayden Daniels’ Washington Commanders haul up to Lambeau Field, a premier destination for leaping into the arms of strangers.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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The plan has long been to haul about 30 of these tubes back to Earth, where they would be studied in far greater detail than Perseverance can achieve with its limited instrument suite — a point Stack Morgan brought up on Wednesday.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Attempts to formalize English at the federal level stretch back decades.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
In addition to policing the two demonstrations, the London force was stretched by high-profile soccer matches and concerts.—
Vitalii Yalahuzian,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The tug-and-pull over GOP members’ demands for more documents and testimony comes as lawmakers juggle the appropriations process and face an end-of-month deadline to fund the government.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
3 Sep. 2025
-
When the state attorney’s office steps in, the prosecution pushes back, resulting in a legal and political tug of war that thrusts Adnan’s case into chaotic uncertainty.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By the mid-1930s, however, Husseini’s influence was dimming.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Fall’s fashion trends mark a return to classicism, with influences from academia and the English countryside, and few pieces capture the mood as effortlessly as blazers.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Boomsma said any traits the ants have evolved are adaptations driven by natural selection, and creating fitter hybrid workers provided a competitive advantage, allowing Iberian harvester ants to extend their range vastly.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Wave now hold a 6-2-1 advantage in the all-time regular season series.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is not about dragging NATO into war.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
After being struck from behind, he was dragged to the ground and mauled him, with other lions joined in, per Khaosod English.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But some of his campaign’s reactions to Fetterman’s stroke in May 2022 hurt his chances even more.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Lopes is a very tough fighter, but his inability to stay technical will hurt him against the powerful Silva.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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