1
2
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort
the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
I gave the door such a pull that when it suddenly opened, I nearly fell backwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
their lawyer supposedly has a lot of pull with the administration in Washington
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
a political candidate with all of the pull that comes with a vast fortune and famous surname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pull
Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of true love pull Nicholas and Isabel together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2023
Laura Poppick, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
These hanging pieces resist the pull of gravity and tradition alike.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Verb
During the event, Riley wore black boots, a black dress, held a black and gold bag, and rocked a pair of massive gold hoops to pull it all together.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of true love pull Nicholas and Isabel together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
Two atoms of oxygen bound together as oxygen gas have a pull similarly as strong as a single atom on its own.
—Laura Poppick, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
These hanging pieces resist the pull of gravity and tradition alike.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
-
Its employees pick up furniture in its delivery vans and use a proprietary network of carriers to bring it to customers, giving it an edge over platforms where buyers need to haul furniture from the sellers’ homes.—
Elaine Pofeldt,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
And an integrated rear rack is rated to haul up to 75 lb (34 kg) of shopping or gear (or pooch with the addition of an optional carrier).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Twenty-two months stretch between Miedema’s 95th goal (September 2022 against Scotland) and 96th goal (July 2024 against Norway), months filled with injury, tears, crippling doubt.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain stretches to reach a shot from Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany in the third round of the Gentlemen's Singles Competition on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All...—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
The 18-year-old, who goes by the nickname Eliza rather than Elizabeth, opened up about the emotional tug of war between honoring her own identity and meeting her family’s expectations in a recent Reddit post.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
6 July 2025
-
Aim to finish with a clear success - whether that's catching the toy or winning a tug game.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
This is the new reality: The click may vanish, but the influence remains.—
Sergio Alvarez,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
While sequestering a jury — essentially isolating the 12 jurors and six alternates assigned to the case from the outside world — can be challenging, the process may prove to be essential in eliminating external influences.—
Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
With the advantage of a year in the NBA in his favor, Buzelis showed a much higher ability to handle the ball in traffic.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
Kansas State has beaten the Jayhawks 16 straight times, but Missouri owns a razor-thin advantage in the Border War.—
Blake Toppmeyer,
The Tennessean,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
That’s good for everyone, even expat journalists dragging their kids along to cover a new story.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
The plucky little superdog drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is treated by a posse of robots.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Squirrels love to yank new plants out of the ground.—
Paul Cappiello,
The Courier-Journal,
11 July 2025
-
Rivera fired his Taser at Feliz, then got into the car on the passenger’s side and threatened to shoot Rivera as a physical struggle ensued, according to body camera footage, as another officer attempted to yank Feliz out of the vehicle.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
What’s going to hurt us probably is the property tax situation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
-
The boy was not seriously hurt when the man threw him to the ground, but he was taken to a local hospital and later released.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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