Pull | Mean of pull in English Dictionary

/ˈpʊl/

• Verb
• to hold onto and move (someone or something) in a particular direction and especially toward yourself
1. He pulled the door open and ran out.
2. The cat will scratch you if you keep pulling its tail.
3. Make a knot in the rope and pull it tight.
4. Pull the baby's chair closer to the table.
5. She pulled the blanket over her head.
6. We tried pushing and pulling but couldn't get the couch to move.
7. Grab the end of the rope and pull as hard as you can.
• to remove (something) by gripping it and using force
1. We spent the morning in the garden pulling weeds.
2. I accidentally pulled one of the buttons off my shirt.
3. The dentist said I have to have two teeth pulled. [=extracted]
4. He pulled the cork (out) and poured the wine.
5. He pulled the plug out of the socket.
• to cause (something you are holding or something that is attached to you) to move with you as you go in a particular direction
1. Horses pull carriages around the park.
2. She was pulling a wagon behind her.

• to cause (something) to move or be directed toward something
1. The colors pull [=draw] the eye toward the center of the painting.
• to move from or to a particular place
1. The car pulled out of the driveway.
2. The train pulled into the station [=arrived at the station] right on time.
3. I made it to the bus stop just when the bus was pulling away/out. [=was leaving]
• to move a vehicle from or to a particular place
1. Look both ways before pulling out (into traffic).
2. It's a tight squeeze, so be careful pulling in.
3. He pulled into the parking space.
4. We'll have to pull off the highway.
5. She pulled away from the curb and into traffic.
6. He slowly pulled the car into traffic.
7. Pull the car into the garage.
• to move to the left or right instead of straight ahead when traveling forward
1. I need to get the alignment of the car fixed because when I drive it pulls [=drifts] to the right/left.
2. The wheel pulls left.
• to move (your body or a part of your body) in a particular direction or to a particular position
1. She wore her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
2. At my age, it can be hard to pull yourself up from the couch.
3. I tried to grab his hand but he pulled it away.
4. When I leaned over to kiss her, she pulled away.
• to move (a trigger, lever, etc.) in order to operate a device or machine
1. He pulled the trigger, but the gun didn't fire.
2. She dropped in a quarter and pulled the slot machine's lever.
• to move a boat through water using oars
1. The crew pulled toward shore.
2. The crew pulled the boat toward shore.
• to remove (someone or something) from a place or situation
1. The pitcher was pulled (from the game) [=was taken out of the game] in the third inning.
• to take (something) away
1. The police pulled his driver's license for drunk driving. = He had his license pulled for drunk driving.
2. The project was well-funded until a few companies pulled [=withdrew] their sponsorship.
• to take (a weapon) out of a pocket or other hidden place
1. He went into the store and pulled a gun on the cashier. [=took out a gun and pointed it at the cashier]
2. Someone pulled a knife on him and threatened to stab him.
• to do (something)
1. They pulled [=carried out] a robbery.
2. I pulled [=worked] two double shifts at the restaurant this week.
3. She loved to pull [=play] tricks/jokes on her brother.
4. Don't you ever pull a crazy stunt like that again!
5. To finish my paper for class, I had to pull an all-nighter. [=stay awake all night working]
• to hurt (a muscle, tendon, or ligament) by stretching it too much
1. She pulled [=strained] a muscle in her back when she tried to reach the top shelf.
• to hit (a ball) toward the left from a right-handed swing or toward the right from a left-handed swing
1. (baseball) He pulled the ball down the left-field line.
2. (golf) She pulled her drive into the rough.
• to behave like (a particular person)
1. Whenever anyone forgot where they had parked the car, we'd say they “pulled a Dave.” [=they did something that Dave often does]
• to attract (someone) sexually
1. He had a brief affair with a girl he pulled in a bar.
2. She's wearing a short skirt hoping it will help her pull tonight.
• to deceive or trick someone
1. Be careful. Someone might try to pull a fast one on you.
• to take the lead in a race, competition, contest, etc.
1. The two runners were side by side until one pulled ahead.
2. She pulled ahead in the race.
3. He has pulled ahead of the other candidates in the election polls.
• to be separated into parts or pieces by pulling
1. The rolls pull apart easily.
• to separate or break (something) into parts or pieces
1. She pulled the rolls apart with her hands.
2. His gambling problem is pulling the family apart. [=is destroying the family]
• to separate (people or animals) in order to stop a fight
1. Customers stepped in and pulled the two men apart. [=separated the two men who were fighting]
• to take (someone) to one side away from other people for a private conversation
1. The reporter pulled me aside and asked if I knew who was in charge.
• to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly
1. When she gets nervous, she pulls at [=pulls on] her ear.
• to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
1. He rocked back and forth, pulling at [=pulling on] his pipe.
• to begin to move farther ahead in a race, competition, contest, etc.
1. They pulled away in the second half and won the game easily.
2. In the final lap, he pulled away from the other cars and won.
• to decide not to do something that you had intended to do or started to do
1. The buyers of the house pulled back [=pulled out] at the last minute.
• to move back from a place or position or to cause (someone or something) to move back from a place or position
1. The soldiers were outnumbered and were forced to pull back. [=retreat, withdraw]
2. The general pulled his army back.
• to score (a goal, point, etc.) so that you are not as far behind in a game as you were before
1. They were behind 2–0 but they pulled back a goal [=they scored a goal to make the score 2–1] early in the second half.
• to move (something) down
1. I pulled down the shade.
2. He always wears his baseball cap pulled down over his eyes.
• to destroy (a building) completely
1. The wreckers pulled down [=demolished] the building.
• to make (something) smaller in amount or number
1. The rumors that the company was filing for bankruptcy pulled stock prices down.
• to cause (someone) to become sad or depressed
1. The loss really pulled the team down. [=brought the team down]
• to earn (a particular and usually large amount of money)
1. He pulls down [=makes, pulls in] more than a million dollars a year.
• to get (something)
1. The show has pulled down high ratings.
• to say or show that you hope (someone or something) will succeed, get well, etc.
1. I hope you're feeling better soon. We're all pulling for you (to get well).
2. I'm pulling [=rooting] for the home team.
• to arrive at a place and come to a stop
1. “When are our guests coming?” “I think they just pulled in.”
2. The train pulled in on time.
• to attract (someone or something)
1. We hope the display will pull customers in from the street.
2. She's trying to pull in more votes.
• to bring (someone) to a police station
1. The police pulled him in for questioning.
• to remove (something) from something else
1. He pulled off the covers of the bed.
2. She pulled her boots off.
• to do (something difficult) successfully
1. We were doubtful the plan would work, but he managed to pull it off.
2. The team pulled off a win/upset.
• to dress yourself in (clothing)
1. She quickly pulled on [=put on] her clothes/sweater.
• to leave a place or position or to cause (someone or something) to leave a place or position
1. The invading army was outnumbered and was forced to pull out. [=withdraw]
2. Military leaders have decided to pull the troops out of the war zone.
3. Organizations are pulling out of the country [=are leaving the country] due to threats of civil war.
• to move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop
1. Let's pull over and look at the map.
2. He pulled the car over to look at the map.
• to force (a driver or vehicle) to move to the side of the road and stop
1. He was pulled over (by the police) for speeding.
• to survive a serious illness, injury, operation, etc.
1. We sat in the hospital waiting room praying that he would pull through. [=live]
• to get through a difficult situation
1. I'm sure that the company will pull through, just as it has in difficult times in the past.
2. It was a bad time for my family, but we managed to pull through it.
• to help (someone or something) to continue to live or succeed in a dangerous or difficult situation
1. His determination pulled him through.
2. Outside financial help is needed to pull the company through its troubles.
• to work together as a group in order to get something done
1. It was amazing to see so many people pull together to help the poor.
• to bring (people or things) together and organize them in order to make or do something
1. She managed to pull a team of researchers together.
2. He started his research by pulling together all the available data.
• to make (something) by bringing together different things
1. The chef pulled together a menu of American and Italian cuisine.
2. The boss asked her to pull a brief sales report together.
• to become calm again
1. I know you're upset, but you need to pull yourself together. [=calm down]
• to move (something) up
1. I pulled up the shade.
• to move (something) forward or into a position where it can be seen, used, etc.
1. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable.
2. Give me a moment to pull up your file on the computer.
• to stop a vehicle at a particular place
1. We pulled up in front of the house.
2. He pulled up next to me at the stoplight.
3. He pulled the car up in front of the house.
• to stop suddenly before completing something
1. A muscle spasm caused him to pull up halfway through the race.
2. She started to answer and then pulled up short.
• to criticize (someone) severely for doing something
1. Her boss pulled her up for/on being late.
• Noun
• the act of moving or trying to move something by holding it and bringing it toward you
1. She gave the door a few hard pulls and it opened.
2. Give the rope a pull.
3. I felt a couple pulls [=tugs] on the fishing line.
• special influence and power over other people
1. He has a lot of pull in local political circles.
• an ability or power to attract someone or to make someone want to go somewhere, do something, etc.
1. She has great box-office pull. [=she attracts a lot of people to her movies]
2. She resisted the pull to abandon her principles to make more money.
3. the irresistible pull of Hollywood for/on young actors and actresses
• a natural force that causes one thing (such as a planet) to be pulled toward another
1. The planet has a strong gravitational pull.
2. the pull of gravity
• an injury that is caused by stretching a muscle, tendon, or ligament too much
1. He is recovering from a muscle/groin pull.
• the act of breathing in smoke from a cigarette, cigar, pipe, etc.
1. He just looked at me and took a pull on/off/at his cigarette before answering.
• the act of taking a long drink of something
1. He took a long pull on his beer.
• something (such as a handle or cord) that opens or operates something when it is pulled
1. a drawer/bell pull
• a difficult climb up a steep hill
1. a long pull uphill