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
Examples of pull in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Erica Sloan, SELF, 16 Aug. 2024
In a surprise move that underlines the gravitational pull of today’s luxury behemoths, Miu Miu‘s chief executive officer Benedetta Petruzzo is joining Christian Dior Couture as managing director, WWD has learned.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 2 Sep. 2024
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
One hypothesis is that our bodies can sense the full moon’s greater gravitational pull, kinda like the oceans—after all, we’re mostly made up of water.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 16 Aug. 2024
In a surprise move that underlines the gravitational pull of today’s luxury behemoths, Miu Miu‘s chief executive officer Benedetta Petruzzo is joining Christian Dior Couture as managing director, WWD has learned.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pull
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pull.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near pull
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 29 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share