pull at

phrasal verb

pulled at; pulling at; pulls at

: to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly

When she gets nervous, she pulls at her ear.

: to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)

He rocked back and forth, pulling at his pipe.

Examples of pull at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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There's drama and intrigue, of course, and some of the best visuals in any anime ever made, but at the end of the day, Little Witch Academia is a coming-of-age story that pulls at your heartstrings and puts a smile on your face. —

Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024 The world has a way of pulling at friendships forged in youth. —

Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 17 Dec. 2024 This week, a slate of great new collaborations — Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre team up for their first LP in decades, Julien Baker enlist Torres for a twangy cut that pulls at the heartstrings, and GloRilla calls Kehlani up for the perfect mix of holiday cheer and wintertime fun. —

Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2024 There’s always something urgent pulling at your attention. —

Hope Horner, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pull at