pull
pull
(pʊl )Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense pulls , present participle pulling , past tense, past participle pulled
1. verb
When you pull something, you hold it firmly and use force in order to move it towards you or away from its previous position.
They have pulled out patients' teeth unnecessarily. [VERB noun with adverb]
He pulled on a jersey. [VERB noun with adverb]
Erica was solemn, pulling at her blonde curls. [VERB preposition]
I helped pull him out of the water. [VERB noun preposition]
Someone pulled her hair. [VERB noun]
He knew he should pull the trigger, but he was suddenly paralysed by fear. [VERB noun]
Pull as hard as you can. [VERB]
I let myself out into the street and pulled the door shut. [VERB noun adjective]
draw, haul, drag, trail, tow, tug, jerk, yank, prise, wrench, lug, wrestPull is also a noun.
The feather must be removed with a straight, firm pull.
2. verb
3. verb
When a vehicle, animal, or person pulls a cart or piece of machinery, they are attached to it or hold it, so that it moves along behind them when they move forward.
This is early-20th-century rural Sussex, when horses still pulled the plough. [VERB noun]
He pulls a rickshaw, probably the oldest form of human taxi service. [VERB noun]
4. verb
If you pull yourself or pull a part of your body in a particular direction, you move your body or a part of your body with effort or force.
Hughes pulled himself slowly to his feet. [VERB pronoun-reflexive preposition/adverb]
He pulled his arms out of the sleeves. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
She tried to pull her hand free. [VERB noun adjective]
Lillian brushed his cheek with her fingertips. He pulled away and said, 'Don't!' [VERB adverb]
5. verb
6. verb
In a race or contest, if you pull ahead of or pull away from an opponent, you gradually increase the amount by which you are ahead of them.
He pulled away, extending his lead to 15 seconds. [VERB adverb]
The six states he won in 1988 are the same states in which he has yet to pull ahead of his opponent. [VERB adverb]
7. verb
If you pull something apart, you break or divide it into small pieces, often in order to put them back together again in a different way.
If I wanted to improve the car significantly I would have to pull it apart and start again. [VERB noun with adverb]
8. verb
9. verb
[informal]
The organisers have to employ performers to pull a crowd. [VERB noun]
attract, draw, bring in, tempt, lure, interest, entice, pull in, magnetizePull in means the same as pull.
They provided a far better news service and pulled in many more viewers. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
She is still beautiful, and still pulling them in at sixty. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
10. verb
If something pulls you or pulls your thoughts or feelings in a particular direction, it strongly attracts you or influences you in a particular way.
Joe felt there was little he could do to help Betty, and his heart was pulling him elsewhere. [VERB noun adverb]
Pull is also a noun.
No matter how much you feel the pull of the past, make a determined effort to look to the future.
11. countable noun
12. verb [usually cont]
[informal]
We're all pulling for each other because we're desperate to win the Cup back. [VERB for noun]
You know I've been pulling for you. [VERB for noun]
13. verb
14. verb
Jeff leaned back and pulled on his cigarette. [VERB on noun]
Pull is also a noun.
He took a deep pull of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke.
15. verb
16. verb
19. to pull a face
23. to pull rank
26. to pull strings
