pull
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: po͝ol
ipa: /pʊl/
ipa: /pəl/
ipa: /pʉl/
note: full–fool merger
ipa: /puːl/
homophone: pool
homophone: pole
homophone: Pole
homophone: poll
rhymes: -ʊl (accents with foot–goose merger or full–fool merger)
Forms: form: pulls
form: pulling
form: pulled
form: pulled
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: pull
form: pull
form: pulled
form: pull
form: pullest
form: pulled
form: pulledst
form: pulls
form: pulleth
form: pulled
form: pull
form: pulled
form: pull
form: pulled
form: pull
form: -
form: pulling
form: pulled
Etymology: Verb from Middle English pullen, from Old English pullian (“to pull, draw, tug, pluck off”), of uncertain ultimate origin. Related to West Frisian pûlje (“to shell, husk”), Middle Dutch pullen (“to drink”), Middle Dutch polen (“to peel, strip”), Low German pulen (“to pick, pluck, pull, tear, strip off husks”), Icelandic púla (“to work hard, beat”).
Noun from Middle English pul, pull, pulle, from the verb pullen (“to pull”).
Senses: examples: text: When I give the signal, pull the rope.
text: Pull your belt tight before starting off, will you?
text: He put forth his hand […] and pulled her in.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 8:9:
text: Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows.
ref: c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
glosses: To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
examples: text: to pull fruit from a tree
text: pull flax
text: pull a finch
text: He and some of his companions one day entered a garden in the suburbs, and having indulged their appetites, desired to know what satisfaction they must make for the fruit they had pulled.
ref: 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
glosses: To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck or pick (flowers, fruit, etc.).
examples: text: Television, a favored source of news and information, pulls the largest share of advertising monies.
ref: 2002, Marcella Ridlen Ray, Changing and Unchanging Face of United States Civil Society:
text: While the pimp can always pull a ho with his magnetism, he can never pull a nun. The nun is too in touch with her own compassionate and honest spirit to react to a spirit as negative and deceitful as that of the pimp.
ref: 2011, Russell Simmons, Chris Morrow, Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All:
glosses: To attract or net; to pull in.
examples: text: I pulled at the club last night.
text: He's pulled that bird over there.
text: Grab your coat, love, you've pulled.
glosses: To persuade (someone) to have sex with one.
examples: text: Wow, Joyce pulls, actually.
ref: 2025 January 7, David Willis (cartoonist), Jennifer Billingsworth (character), "Coincidence", Dumbing of Age (webcomic)
glosses: To interest (someone) in dating or pursuing one (whether or not this has led to sex).
examples: text: Each day, they pulled the old bread and set out fresh loaves.
text: The book was due to be released today, but it was pulled at the last minute over legal concerns.
glosses: To remove or withdraw (something), especially from public circulation or availability.
examples: text: I'll have to pull a part number for that.
text: This computer file is incorrect. Can we pull the old version from your backups?
text: They'll go through their computer system and pull a report of all your order fulfillment records for the time period you specify.
ref: 2006, Michael Bellomo, Joel Elad, How to Sell Anything on Amazon...and Make a Fortune!:
glosses: To retrieve or look up for use.
examples: text: It's the contractor's responsibility to pull the necessary permits before starting work.
topics: business
construction
manufacturing
glosses: To obtain (a permit) from a regulatory authority.
examples: text: He regularly pulls 12-hour days, sometimes 14.
text: You'll be sent home if you pull another stunt like that.
text: What are you trying to pull?
text: What are you trying to pull, anyway? You say you want to sell, but you have nothing to offer?! You've got some nerve, kid!
ref: 1995, HAL Laboratory, EarthBound, Nintendo, Super Nintendo Entertainment System:
text: Faced with an enemy whose largest gun turrets weigh more than the entire ship, Johnston decides that running is boring, and instead pulls a full 180-degree turn and charges straight back at the attacking forces.
ref: 2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 16:22 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 03 Nov 2022:
glosses: To do or perform, especially something seen as negative by the speaker.
examples: text: He pulled an Elvis and got really fat.
text: They're trying to pull a Watergate on us.
glosses: To copy or emulate the actions or behaviour associated with the person or thing mentioned (with a and the name of a person, place, event, etc.).
glosses: To toss a frisbee with the intention of launching the disc across the length of a field.
examples: text: It had been a sort of race hitherto, and the rowers, with set teeth and compressed lips, had pulled stroke for stroke.
ref: 1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life, Chapter VI:
glosses: To row.
examples: text: As the man at the oars pulled him across, the scientist said to him, "Do you know astronomy?"
ref: 2022, Reuben A. Torrey, How to Be Saved and How to Be Lost, page 164:
glosses: To transport by rowing.
examples: text: I pulled a personal best on the erg yesterday.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
rowing
sports
glosses: To achieve by rowing on a rowing machine.
examples: text: He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Lamentations 3:11:
text: If you are going to pull or chop the pork butt, take it out of the smoker when the meat is in the higher temperature range, put it in a large pan, and let it rest, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Using heavy-duty dinner forks, pull the pork butt to shreds.
ref: 2009, Ardie A. Davis, Chef Paul Kirk, America's Best BBQ, page 57:
glosses: To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
glosses: To strain (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc.).
examples: text: …we had to clear a long hallway, run up half way, pull the boss mob to us, and engage.
ref: 2003 April 9, Richard Lawson, “Monual's Willful Ignorance”, in alt.games.everquest (Usenet):
text: Basically buff pet, have it pull lots of mobs, shield pet, chain heal pet, have your aoe casters finish off hurt mobs once pet gets good aggro.
ref: 2004 October 18, Stush, “Re: focus pull”, in alt.games.dark-age-of-camelot (Usenet):
text: This is the only thing that should get you to break off from your position, is to pull something off the healer.
ref: 2005 August 2, Brian, “Re: How to tank Stratholme undead pulls?”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):
text: You could also set a fire trap, pull the mob toward it, then send in your pet….
ref: 2007 April 10, John Salerno, “Re: Managing the Command Buttons”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):
text: Shield yourself, pull with Mind Blast if you want, or merely pull with SW:P to save mana, then wand, fear if you need to, but use the lowest rank fear.
ref: 2008 August 18, Mark (newsgroups), “Re: I'm a priest now!”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):
topics: video-games
glosses: To draw (a hostile non-player character) into combat, or toward or away from some location or target.
examples: text: How many points did you pull today, Albert?
glosses: To score a certain number of points in a sport.
examples: text: The favourite was pulled.
topics: hobbies
horse-racing
horseracing
horses
lifestyle
pets
racing
sports
glosses: To hold back, and so prevent from winning.
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: To take or make (a proof or impression); so called because hand presses were worked by pulling a lever.
examples: text: Never pull a straight fast ball to leg.
ref: 1888, Robert Henry Lyttelton, Cricket, Chapter 2:
topics: ball-games
cricket
games
golf
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To strike the ball in a particular manner. (See noun sense.)
examples: text: Let's stop at Finnigan's. The barman pulls a good pint.
glosses: To draw beer from a pump, keg, or other source.
examples: text: Danny pulled at his beer and thought for a moment.
ref: 1957, Air Force Magazine, volume 40, page 128:
glosses: To take a swig or mouthful of drink.
qualifier: rail transportation
glosses: Of a railroad car, to pull out from a yard or station; to leave.
examples: text: Pull around to the window please.
text: He pulled the car forward until he was out of the way.
glosses: (Followed by a preposition or adverb) To drive (a vehicle) in a particular direction or to a particular place.
examples: text: The state trooper pulled me for going 60 in a 55 zone.
topics: government
law-enforcement
glosses: To pull over (a driver or vehicle); to detain for a traffic stop.
topics: cooking
food
lifestyle
glosses: To repeatedly stretch taffy in order to achieve the desired stretchy texture.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: To retrieve source code or other material from a source control repository.
topics: government
hobbies
lifestyle
martial-arts
military
politics
sports
war
glosses: In practice fighting, to reduce the strength of a blow (etymology 3) so as to avoid injuring one's practice partner.
examples: text: 'I never liked Bowler, and I had my suspicions when Captain Ferndale persuaded you to put him up in that race. I did not discover until some time after that he pulled the horse.'
ref: 1897, Nat Gould, Not So Bad After All, page 200:
topics: hobbies
horse-racing
horseracing
horses
lifestyle
pets
racing
sports
glosses: To impede the progress of (a horse) to prevent its winning a race.
Synonyms: sense: apply force to (something) so it comes toward
word: drag
sense: apply force to (something) so it comes toward
word: tow
sense: apply force to (something) so it comes toward
word: tug
sense: apply force to (something) so it comes toward
word: yank
sense: slang: to persuade to have sex with one
word: score
sense: to remove from circulation
word: recall
sense: to remove from circulation
word: withdraw
sense: to remove from circulation
word: yank
sense: to do, to perform
word: carry out
sense: to do, to perform
word: complete
sense: to do, to perform
word: do
sense: to do, to perform
word: execute
sense: to do, to perform
word: perform
sense: to retrieve or look up for use
word: generate
sense: to retrieve or look up for use
word: get
sense: to retrieve or look up for use
word: get hold of
sense: to retrieve or look up for use
word: get one's hands on
sense: to retrieve or look up for use
word: lay one's hands on
sense: to retrieve or look up for use
word: obtain
sense: to retrieve or look up for use
word: retrieve
sense: to succeed in finding a person with whom to have sex.
word: score
word: attract
word: draw
word: hale
word: heave
word: lug
word: pull
word: schlep
Hypernyms: word: move
word: transport
Hyponyms: sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull a face
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull a fast one
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull ahead
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull away
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull back
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull down
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull for
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull in
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull off
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull out
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull over
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull rank
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull round
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull through
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull together
sense: Hyponyms of pull (verb)
word: pull up
word: drag
word: haul
word: pick
word: pluck
word: tow
word: trail
word: train
word: weed
Derived terms: have a crow to pull
it's not the whistle that pulls the train
oil pulling
overpull
pull about
pull a few strings
pull a Homer
pull a lever
pull an all-nighter
pull an oar
pull apart
pull a permit
pull a rabbit from a hat
pull a rabbit out of a hat
pull a sickie
pull aside
pull a train
pull at someone's heartstrings
pull away the shoulder
pull down a notch
pull down the curtain
pull faces
pull from the fire
pull Gs
pull hitter
pull-in
pulling
pulling power
pulling the plug
pull in one's horns
pull into
pull my finger
pull-off
pull-off cap
pull on
pull-on
pull one over
pull oneself
pull oneself together
pull oneself up by one's bootstraps
pull oneself up by one's own bootstraps
pull one's finger out
pull one's forelock
pull one's hair out
pull one's head in
pull one's horns in
pull one's own weight
pull one's pud
pull one's punches
pull one's socks up
pull one's weight
pull-out
pull out all stops
pull out all the stops
pull out of a hat
pull out of one's arse
pull out of one's ass
pull out of the bag
pull out of the fire
pull out of the hat
pull punches
pull-quote
pull short
pull short up
pull somebody's leg
pull someone down a peg
pull someone over the coals
pull someone's bacon out of the fire
pull someone's chain
pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire
pull someone's fat out of the fire
pull someone's leg
pull someone's plonker
pull someone's plumes
pull start
pull station
pull strings
pull-tab
pull teeth
pull the devil by the tail
pull the fat out of the fire
pull the fire alarm
pull the football
pull the ladder up after oneself
pull the ladder up behind oneself
pull the long bow
pull the other leg
pull the other one
pull the other one, it's got bells on
pull the pin
pull the plug
pull the reins in on someone
pull the reins in on something
pull the rug
pull the rug out from under
pull the shutters down
pull the string
pull the trigger
pull the wires
pull the wool over someone's eyes
pull-through
pull time
pull tongues
pull to pieces
pull to publish
pull up a chair
pull up a floor
pull up a pew
pull up on
pull up one's socks
pull-up resistor
pull up short
pull up stakes
pull up stumps
pull up the drawbridge
pull up the ladder
pull up your pants
push-and-pull
push-pull
rope pulling
taffy pull
the whistle does not pull the train
the whistle doesn't pull the train
Related terms: word: carry
word: extract
word: lift
word: lurch