- 1[intransitive, transitive] to hold something firmly and use force in order to move it or try to move it toward yourself You push and I'll pull. Don't pull so hard or the handle will come off. pull at/on something I pulled on the rope to see if it was secure. pull something Stop pulling her hair! pull somebody/something + adv./prep. She pulled him gently toward her. pull something + adj. Pull the door shut.
- 2[transitive] pull something (+ adv./prep.) to remove something from a place by pulling Pull the plug out. She pulled off her boots. He pulled a gun on me (= took out a gun and aimed it at me).
- 3[transitive] pull somebody/something + adv./prep. to move someone or something in a particular direction by pulling Pull your chair closer to the table. He pulled on his sweater. She took his arm and pulled him along.
- 4[transitive] pull something to hold or be attached to something and move it along behind you In this area oxen are used to pull carts. body
- 5[intransitive, transitive] to move your body or a part of your body in a particular direction, especially using force + adv./prep. He tried to kiss her but she pulled away. pull something/yourself + adv./prep. The dog snapped at her and she quickly pulled back her hand. pull something/yourself + adj. John pulled himself free and ran off. curtains
- 6[transitive] pull something to open or close curtains, etc. synonym draw Pull the curtains—it's dark outside. muscle
- 7[transitive] pull something to damage a muscle, etc. by using too much force to pull a muscle/ligament/tendon Thesaurusinjure
- wound
- hurt
- bruise
- sprain
- pull
- strain
- injure to harm yourself or someone else physically, especially in an accident:He injured his knee playing hockey. Three people were injured in the crash.
- wound [often passive] (somewhat formal) to injure part of the body, especially by making a hole in the skin using a weapon:Two people were killed and dozens more wounded in the attack. Wound is often used to talk about people being hurt in war or in other attacks which affect a lot of people.
- hurt (somewhat informal) to cause physical pain to someone or yourself; to injure someone or yourself:Did you hurt yourself?
- You can hurt or injure a part of the body in an accident. Hurt emphasizes the physical pain caused;injure emphasizes that the part of the body has been damaged in some way.
- bruise to make a blue, brown, or purple mark (= a bruise) appear on the skin after someone has fallen or been hit; to develop a bruise
- sprain to injure part of your body, especially your ankle, wrist, or knee, by suddenly bending it in an awkward way, causing pain and swelling
- pull to damage a muscle, etc., by using too much force
- strain to injure yourself or part of your body by making it work too hard:Don't strain your eyes by reading in poor light.
- to injure/hurt/strain yourself
- to injure/hurt/pull/strain a muscle
- to injure/hurt/sprain your ankle/knee/wrist
- to injure/hurt/strain your back/shoulder/eyes
- to injure/hurt your spine/neck
- to be badly/severely/slightly injured/wounded/hurt/bruised/sprained
switch - 8[transitive] pull something to move a switch, etc. toward yourself or down in order to operate a machine or piece of equipment Pull the lever to start the motor. Don't pull the trigger! vehicle/engine
- 9[intransitive, transitive] pull (something) to the right/the left/one side to move or make a vehicle move sideways The wheel is pulling to the left. She pulled the car to the right to avoid the dog.
- 10[intransitive] (of an engine) to work hard and use a lot of power The old car pulled hard as we drove slowly up the hill. boat
- 11[intransitive, transitive] pull (something) (+ adv./prep.) to use oars to move a boat along They pulled toward the shore. crowd/support
- 12[transitive] pull somebody/something (in) to attract the interest or support of someone or something They pulled in huge crowds on their latest tour.
- 13[transitive] pull something (informal) to succeed in playing a trick on someone, committing a crime, etc. He's pulling some sort of trick on you. cancel
- 14[transitive] pull something (informal) to cancel an event; to stop showing an advertisement, etc. The gig was pulled at the last moment. Thesauruspull
- drag
- draw
- haul
- tow
- tug
- pull to hold something and move it in a particular direction; to hold or be attached to a vehicle and move it along behind you:Pull the chair closer to the table. They use horses to pull their carts.
- drag to pull someone or something in a particular direction or behind you, usually along the ground, and especially with effort:The sack is too heavy to lift—you'll have to drag it.
- draw (formal) to move someone or something by pulling them/it gently; to pull a vehicle such as a carriage:I drew my chair closer to the fire. a horse-drawn carriage
- haul to pull someone or something to a particular place with a lot of effort:Liz hauled her suitcase up the stairs.
- You usually drag something behind you along the ground; you usually haul something toward you, often upward toward you. Dragging something often needs effort, but hauling something always does.
- tow to pull a car, boat, or light plane behind another vehicle, using a rope or chain:Our car was towed away by the police.
- tug to pull someone or something hard in a particular direction:The boy tugged at his father's sleeve.
- to pull/drag/draw/haul/tow somebody/something along/down/toward something
- to pull/drag/draw/haul/tow somebody/something behind you
- to pull/drag/draw/haul a cart/sled
- to pull/draw a coach/carriage
- to pull/haul/tow a trailer
- horses pull/draw/haul something
- dogs pull/drag/haul something
verb jump to other results
NAmE//pʊl//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they pull he / she / it pulls
past simple pulled
-ing form pulling
to start being more careful in your behavior, especially by spending less money than before Small businesses have had to pull their horns in during the recession.
to criticize someone, or their work or ideas, very severely
to criticize someone, or their work or ideas, very severely
to trick someone
to have different aims that cannot be achieved together without causing problems
to play a joke on someone, usually by making them believe something that is not true
to make the greatest effort possible to achieve something
to put an end to someone's project, a plan, etc. The television station pulled the plug on the series after only five episodes.
(usually used in negative sentences) to express something less strongly than you are able to, for example to avoid upsetting or shocking someone Her articles certainly don't pull any punches.
to suddenly produce something as a solution to a problem
to make use of your place or status in society or at work to make someone do what you want
to take help or support away from someone suddenly
to use your influence in order to get an advantage for someone
to control events or the actions of other people
to suddenly move from your house and go to live somewhere else He pulled up stakes and went back to Kentucky.
to work as hard as everyone else in a job, an activity, etc.
to try to trick someone; to hide your real actions or intentions from someone
to improve your situation yourself, without help from other people Phrasal Verbspull aheadpull apartpull atpull awaypull backpull downpull inpull offpull onpull outpull overpull throughpull togetherpull up
Check pronunciation: pull