PULLING AWAY Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

pulling away

verb

present participle of pull away

as in detaching

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling away

Verb

Orion and the Artemis III crew will stay docked with Starship for about a day before detaching to begin preparations for their return to Earth.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 20 July 2026
Clean the Mouthpiece, Straw, and Lid After detaching the straw, use a straw cleaning brush or a pipe cleaner to thoroughly scrub it with a mild detergent.

— Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026

Definition of detaching

Verb

Kiffin cited other concerns, ranging from backups disengaging if more close games provide fewer on-field opportunities to the long-term wear and tear on players’ bodies.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 24 July 2026
New York Times Gen X bosses are disengaging, while Gen Z talent is quitting.

— Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 13 July 2026

Definition of disengaging

Verb

Breakker connected with a flying cross body over the barricade on Breakker as Cole talked up Evans developing an edge.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026

Definition of flying

Verb

The fundamental goal of the 1787 Constitution was to establish a republican form of government — and that meant disentangling the traditional powers of the monarch and placing them in different branches of government.

— David French, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Embedded in a patriarchal family within an oppressive society, Mrie faces the challenge of disentangling herself from both.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026

Definition of disentangling

Verb

Another relative, Lolo Villalobos, was the longtime mayor of Guanabacoa, Cuba, before fleeing the country after Fidel Castro took power.

— Austin Horn July 30, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
Thousands of Ukrainians who arrived in the United States after fleeing the war expected to be away from home only briefly.

— Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of fleeing

Verb

One instrument, used without flinching, does what rivals need elaborate machinery to pull off.

— Jamie Beaton, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Amy Adams’ Anna Bowden — who has a complicated history with Max as his former lawyer — peeks through the curtain to spy on him, flinching as Max insists on snapping his own broken finger into place.

— Benjamin VanHoose, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

Definition of flinching

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

pulling a face

pulling away

pulling down

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“Pulling away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20away. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of pulling away

verb

Example Sentences

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