as in fulfilling
to carry through (as a process) to completion
the rebel forces pulled off a surprisingly successful offensive against the better equipped government troops
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Recent Examples of pulling off
Season 2 takes some worthy swings that blend broad comedy with surprising emotional depth, all while pulling off some of TV’s most ambitious VFX feats across various sight gags.
—
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 11 June 2026
Cuba is currently pulling off one of the fastest solar revolutions on the planet, with help from China, according to data from the energy think tank Ember.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Boston is still favored to advance and in Game 3 on the road, but the 76ers will have hope of pulling off the upset of the Eastern Conference favorites.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Except last season, when Christian McCaffrey started all 19 games and led the NFL in touches while almost pulling off the 1,000-yard rushing/receiving double-double.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
On a recent Thursday morning, cars whizzed over the bridge with several vehicles pulling off on the side of the road to visit Long's doughnut line.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
In California, the law prevents incumbents from pulling off the kind of underhanded stunt that Garcia and Daines managed.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Down 23 points at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Brooklyn still found a way to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, pulling off the fifth-largest comeback in franchise history and avoiding a season sweep.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
There's nothing the couple loves more than pulling off the road to enjoy a local diner or small clam shack.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 11 June 2026
Cuba is currently pulling off one of the fastest solar revolutions on the planet, with help from China, according to data from the energy think tank Ember.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Boston is still favored to advance and in Game 3 on the road, but the 76ers will have hope of pulling off the upset of the Eastern Conference favorites.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Except last season, when Christian McCaffrey started all 19 games and led the NFL in touches while almost pulling off the 1,000-yard rushing/receiving double-double.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
On a recent Thursday morning, cars whizzed over the bridge with several vehicles pulling off on the side of the road to visit Long's doughnut line.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
In California, the law prevents incumbents from pulling off the kind of underhanded stunt that Garcia and Daines managed.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Down 23 points at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Brooklyn still found a way to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, pulling off the fifth-largest comeback in franchise history and avoiding a season sweep.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
There's nothing the couple loves more than pulling off the road to enjoy a local diner or small clam shack.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling off
Verb
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Inexperience didn't keep them from fulfilling their dream.—
Neha Bhatt,
NPR,
13 June 2026
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Morningstar is bearish because of the low odds of SpaceX fulfilling promises such as making its latest rocket as reusable as an airplane and running AI data centers in space that are cheaper and more effective than the ones on earth.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The exponential return on our positively performing company outweighs the losers.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Pop stars Katy Perry and Tius Luka helped kick off the festivities, performing during the tournament’s opening ceremony before the United States faced Paraguay.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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After gathering digital evidence, conducting witness interviews and executing search warrants, investigators obtained and served an arrest warrant Tuesday for the Yuba City man, according to a department statement.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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The overall concept of blocking and executing transitions while managing stamina is still at the core.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Cultural values such as achieving harmony between cultures; and slow, gracious [economic] growth.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
13 June 2026
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Both Soliches were recipients of that award, which is a full-tuition and housing scholarship for high-achieving caddies.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
13 June 2026
Verb
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In the face of accomplishing history, the Knicks started off ice cold.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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So what’s Aiyuk accomplishing by bashing the 49ers repeatedly on social media?—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Federal prosecutors said Derek Nathan Lopez, 22, and Juan Gabriel Gonzalez, 23, admitted to carrying out more than a dozen armed robberies targeting casino winners in Los Angeles County.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
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The environmental lawsuit is the latest attempt to prevent the governor from carrying out his unpopular return-to-office order.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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New York survived the scramble by controlling the glass and doing just enough at the free-throw line.—
Dan Zaksheske,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Several have interest in doing so now.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
Verb
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While the Qatari national team practiced at nearby PayPal Park Friday morning, Switzerland trained in San Diego early in the day before hopping on a plane and making the short flight to San Jose.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20off. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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