Pull meaning

What does “pull” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“pull” is a noun and verb with 24 meanings. Its most common meaning is: the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you.

pull

noun

  1. the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you

    “the pull up the hill had him breathing harder”

    “his strenuous pulling strained his back”

    Synonymspulling
  2. the force used in pulling

    “the pull of the moon”

    “the pull of the current”

  3. special advantage or influence

    “the chairman's nephew has a lot of pull”

    Synonymsclout
  4. a device used for pulling something

    “he grabbed the pull and opened the drawer”

  5. a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments

    “the wrench to his knee occurred as he fell”

    “he was sidelined with a hamstring pull”

    Synonymswrenchtwist
  6. a slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke)

    “he took a puff on his pipe”

    “he took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly”

    Synonymspuffdrag
  7. a sustained effort

    “it was a long pull but we made it”

verb

  1. cause to move by pulling

    “draw a wagon”

    “pull a sled”

    Synonymsdraw
    Oppositespush
  2. direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes

    “Her good looks attract the stares of many men”

    “The ad pulled in many potential customers”

  3. move into a certain direction

    “the car pulls to the right”

  4. apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion

    “Pull the rope”

    “Pull the handle towards you”

  5. perform an act, usually with a negative connotation

    “perpetrate a crime”

    “pull a bank robbery”

  6. bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover

    “draw a weapon”

    “pull out a gun”

  7. steer into a certain direction

    “pull one's horse to a stand”

    “Pull the car over”

  8. strain abnormally

    “I pulled a muscle in my leg when I jumped up”

    “The athlete pulled a tendon in the competition”

    Synonymsoverstretch
  9. cause to move in a certain direction by exerting a force upon, either physically or in an abstract sense

    “A declining dollar pulled down the export figures for the last quarter”

    Synonymsdraw
  10. operate when rowing a boat

    “pull the oars”

  11. rein in to keep from winning a race

    “pull a horse”

  12. tear or be torn violently

    “The curtain ripped from top to bottom”

    “pull the cooked chicken into strips”

    Synonymsrendriprive
  13. hit in the direction that the player is facing when carrying through the swing

    “pull the ball”

  14. strip of feathers

    “pull a chicken”

    “pluck the capon”

  15. remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense

    “pull weeds”

    “extract a bad tooth”

  16. take sides with; align oneself with; show strong sympathy for

    “We all rooted for the home team”

    “I'm pulling for the underdog”

    Synonymsroot for
  17. take away

    “pull the old soup cans from the supermarket shelf”

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University

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