pull-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈpu̇l-ˌəp 

plural pull-ups

: an exercise in which one hangs by the hands from a support (such as a horizontal bar) and pulls oneself up until the chin is level with the support

specifically : such an exercise done with the palms facing outward compare chin-up

pull up

2 of 2

verb

pulled up; pulling up; pulls up

transitive verb

1

: to bring to a stop : halt

2

: check, rebuke

intransitive verb

1

a

: to check oneself

b

: to come to an often abrupt halt : stop

2

: to draw even with others in a race

Synonyms

Verb

• arrest
• bring up
• catch
• check
• draw up
• fetch up
• halt
• hold up
• stall
• stay
• still
• stop

Examples of pull-up in a Sentence

Verb

the jockey tried to pull up the apparently injured horse

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His volume on those shots are up, too, as 28.6 percent of Rozier’s field-goal attempts have been catch-and-shoot looks compared to 22.4 percent for pull-ups during the last four games. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025

After hitting a pull-up baseline jumper and 3-pointer to open the first quarter, Hassan came up with a steal that led to a pair of free throws from junior guard Evan Frieders for a 7-0 lead. —Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025

Verb

When a hurricane or tornado starts to form, your local weather forecasters can quickly pull up maps tracking its movement and showing where it’s headed. —Christine Wiedinmyer, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025

In a video captured on Feb. 1 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and shared by Storyful, a crew aboard a small vessel pulls up the struggling golden retriever Seren. —Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1623, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1