as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
the jockey tried to pull up the apparently injured horse
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Recent Examples of pulling up
From cargo ships crossing the ocean to the delivery van pulling up to your door, rising fuel and other energy prices are driving up the cost of transporting goods.
—
CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Removing Existing Moss Since moss has no true root system, small areas of growth are easy to remove by simply raking or pulling up the moss.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The Gothic revival building sits on a corner lot near the Power & Light District, and pulling up to the valet station signals the start of a true city break.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Brunson hit Smith with four crossovers into a step-back two to bring the Knicks within two, then invited Eason to perform the Electric Slide before pulling up for the go-ahead two with less than 30 seconds in regulation.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
And so there’s Bobby, pulling up in a stretch limo from Memphis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Down dirt roads and behind stands of oak trees in their neighborhood, pump jacks nodded up and down, pulling up oil.
—Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
Udogie came off in the second half at Old Trafford after pulling up while running down the left wing.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The same can be said for EVs pulling up next to a gas pump at a fuel station instead of a parking spot.
—Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Removing Existing Moss Since moss has no true root system, small areas of growth are easy to remove by simply raking or pulling up the moss.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The Gothic revival building sits on a corner lot near the Power & Light District, and pulling up to the valet station signals the start of a true city break.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Brunson hit Smith with four crossovers into a step-back two to bring the Knicks within two, then invited Eason to perform the Electric Slide before pulling up for the go-ahead two with less than 30 seconds in regulation.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
And so there’s Bobby, pulling up in a stretch limo from Memphis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Down dirt roads and behind stands of oak trees in their neighborhood, pump jacks nodded up and down, pulling up oil.
—Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
Udogie came off in the second half at Old Trafford after pulling up while running down the left wing.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The same can be said for EVs pulling up next to a gas pump at a fuel station instead of a parking spot.
—Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling up
Verb
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Brooke Bereuter was masterful in goal for Grapevine shutting out Argyle (18-4-3) until the shootout, including stopping a key penalty kick in the first half.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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And on Monday, March 30, the court upheld the stay, effectively stopping any chance that the execution would happen as scheduled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nasa Worldview | Via Reuters The maritime passage has been almost completely shut by Iran since the war began in late February, effectively halting the shipping of Gulf oil and gas through the strait.—
Holly Ellyatt,Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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In retaliation for a ground invasion, Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen could attack ships in the Red Sea, halting the flow of oil and cargo via a route that’s been used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Congress is currently on recess until April 13, stalling further action to reopen the government.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Apr. 2026
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Checkpoints dotted the highway and at one point, his paperwork was rejected, stalling his progress.—
Salma Arafa,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For those who have the option, more are contemplating walking, cycling, carpooling or catching the bus or train to get some relief.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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That inspired some smirks from Boone and Tanner Swanson, the team’s director of catching.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Senate Majority Leader Thune changed his vote from yes to no, giving himself the option of bringing up the motion again.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Gavin Grahovac took Yearwood by surprise with a two-RBI single, bringing up outfielder Caden Sorrell.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As a Biden aide told us, allocating scarce vaccines felt like drawing up Schindler’s list.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Geno Auriemma and his players drawing up plays with breakfast items for a hotel chain.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The resultant device blends fast discharge speeds with massive storage capacity, holding up to 25 times more energy per kilogram than conventional versions.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
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Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately holding up oil supplies -- claims that Zelenskyy denies.—
LORNE COOK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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More than a hundred lawmakers in the House and Senate signed letters sent to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth in mid-March asking whether the Maven Smart System was involved in the strike on the school, and for more details on how the military is checking the work of AI.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Teams are also checking that everything around the hatch is properly sealed, NASA said.—
Miles Doran,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulling up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20up. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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