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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pull
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
Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025
Metals are a great way to introduce a subtle pop of shine into your kitchen, whether through practical accessories such as trays or more integral elements like cabinet pulls.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
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
Following his grandfather’s passing in 2014, Sanders felt an undeniable pull toward music.
—Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025
Metals are a great way to introduce a subtle pop of shine into your kitchen, whether through practical accessories such as trays or more integral elements like cabinet pulls.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pull
Verb
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Porter, 28, helped dig a fire break to prevent the blaze from spreading and used a mule team to haul water to squelch the blaze.—
Zac Anderson,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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The crash was reported at 10:16 a.m. near exit 232 in Clear Creek County and involved two tractor-trailers, a Ford F350 hauling livestock and eight other vehicles, CSP officials said in a news release.—
Katie Langford,
The Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Travel:How National Park Service layoffs could stretch some parks to their limits What happened to the plane?—
Gabe Hauari,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
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But first and foremost, Fonda is a longtime political activist, stretching from her work speaking out against the Vietnam War to her fight for women's rights, civil rights, and climate change awareness.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Astronomers discovered 51 Pegasi b by detecting a wobble in its star’s motion caused by the gravitational tug of the orbiting planet—a technique called the Doppler (or radial velocity) method.—
Dakotah Tyler,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2025
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The 185-foot vessel, known as Yard Derrick 254, was guided into place by tug boats operating near the western tip of Shelter Island.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Like anyone who’s converted a hobby into a career, Vaughn is ambivalent about his influence.—
Rachel Monroe,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The mix of Arab, Asian, European, Latin, African and Caribbean cultures has added more influence over the years to make this event unique.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As industries across manufacturing, energy, and logistics embrace this transformation, the stakes for competitive advantage have never been higher.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
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Another avenue for lawsuits against non-generative AI use is legal protections for trade secrets; trade secrets, which provide a competitive business advantage, are not known or shared with the public and reflect efforts designed to keep information secret.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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When users click and drag their cursor across the screen, random clusters of letters appear, followed by sentences that flash briefly before disappearing.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2025
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Swansea City have sacked head coach Luke Williams following a poor run of results since the turn of the year that has dragged the Championship club into a relegation battle.—
Stuart James,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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On the Tuesday morning in January when Los Angeles began to burn, the Santa Ana winds whipped hard at Courtney Storer’s driveway gate, at the edge of the city’s East Side, yanking open the wooden doors.—
Hannah Goldfield,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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Its oblique introduction begins with Bini foraging for mushrooms on a hillside, presenting him as a man in touch with nature in the abstract, before the movie yanks us into the fold of his profession.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The matches are now much more likely to reverse course if one team is pulling ahead — that certainly can’t hurt.—
Gabby Herzig,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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Speaking of credit scores, contrary to popular opinion, having multiple credit cards won’t hurt you.—
Aislyn Greene,
AFAR Media,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pull. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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