pullpull1 /pʊl/ ●●● verb 
1
MOVE TOWARD YOU [intransitive, transitive] to use your hands to move something toward you ANT push: 
Mom, Sara’s pulling my hair! When I count to three, start pulling. Wilson quickly pulled the door open/shut. Help me pull the trunk into the corner.THESAURUStug – to pull something suddenly, especially several times with small movements: The little boy was tugging at her sleeve.drag – to pull something somewhere, usually along the ground: I dragged the chair upstairs.haul – to pull something heavy, often using a rope: Fishermen hauled in their nets.tow – to pull another vehicle or boat: Some pickup trucks were towing trailers.heave – to pull or lift something very heavy, especially with one movement: We managed to heave the piano into position.► see thesaurus at push12REMOVE [transitive] to remove something from its place, especially by using force: She has to have her wisdom teeth pulled. The baby’s pulled everything out of the cupboards.3MAKE something FOLLOW YOU [intransitive, transitive] to use a rope, chain, your hands, etc. to make something move behind you in the direction you are moving ANT push: The car was pulling a camper behind it.4MUSCLE [transitive] medicine to injure a muscle by stretching it too much during physical activity: Martinez pulled a groin muscle and had to leave the game.THESAURUShurt, injure, break, bruise, sprain, twist, strain, dislocate► see thesaurus at hurt1 (1)5pull somebody’s leg informal to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke: I think he was just pulling your leg.6pull strings to secretly use your influence with important people in order to get something or to help someone: Barry pulled some strings and got us tickets for the football game.7MOVE YOUR BODY a)[intransitive, transitive] to move your body or part of your body away from someone or something: She pulled away from him in horror. b)[transitive] to use force to move your body somewhere: The kids pulled themselves up onto the platform.8CLOTHING [intransitive, transitive] to put on or take off clothing, usually quickly: He pulled off his gloves and placed them on the dresser.9pull your weight to do your share of the work: If you don’t start pulling your weight around here, you’ll be fired!10pull a stunt/trick/joke/prank informal to do something that annoys or harms other people: Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again!11TRICK [transitive] spoken to deceive or trick someone: What are you trying to pull? Are you trying to pull a fast one on me?12pull the strings to control something, especially when you are not the person who is supposed to be controlling it: Who is really pulling the strings in the White House?13SWITCH [transitive] to move a control such as a switch or trigger toward you to make a piece of equipment work: She raised the gun and pulled the trigger.14GUN/KNIFE [transitive] to take out a gun or knife ready to use it: Suddenly the man pulled a gun and began shooting.15pull the rug out from under somebody to suddenly take away something that someone was depending on to achieve what s/he wantedpull apart phrasal verb to separate something into two or more pieces or groups: Loosen the roots and gently pull the plants apart. The ethnic problems here are similar to the ones that pulled Yugoslavia apart.pull away phrasal verb1to move ahead of a competitor by going faster or being more successful: Chicago pulled away in the third quarter to win 107–76.2to start to drive away from the place where your car was stopped: Grant pulled away from the curb.pull down phrasal verb to destroy a building, wall, etc.: Many of the houses were pulled down to make way for a new highway.pull for phrasal verb informal to encourage a person or team to succeed: Which team are you pulling for?pull in phrasal verb1pull (something ↔) in to move a car into a particular space and stop it: Kevin pulled in behind me and parked.2pull something ↔ in informal if you pull in a lot of money, you earn itpull off phrasal verb1pull something ↔ off informal to succeed in doing something difficult: Cruz expects to win the fight, but no one else thinks he can pull it off.2pull off something to leave a road in order to stop or to turn into another roadpull out phrasal verb1to drive a car onto a road from where you have stopped2to get out of a bad situation or dangerous place: Investors pulled out, selling all their shares.3pull somebody/something ↔ out to get someone out of a bad situation or dangerous place: We plan to pull our troops out of the area.pull over phrasal verb to drive to the side of a road and stop your car, or to make someone do this: We didn’t realize we were speeding until the highway patrol pulled us over.pull through phrasal verb1pull (somebody) through (something) to stay alive after a serious injury or illness, or to help someone do this: We all prayed that he would pull through.2pull through something to continue to live or exist after being in a difficult or upsetting situation: The city managed to pull through its financial crisis.pull together phrasal verb1to work hard with other people to achieve something: After the hurricane, neighbors pulled together to help each other.2pull yourself together informal to force yourself to stop being nervous, afraid, or disorganized: A year after the accident, she’s finally starting to pull herself together.pull up phrasal verb1to stop the vehicle you are driving: A red Buick pulled up at the stop lights.2pull up a chair/stool etc. to get a chair and sit down near someone who is already sitting
1MOVE TOWARD YOU [intransitive, transitive] to use your hands to move something toward you ANT push: Mom, Sara’s pulling my hair! When I count to three, start pulling. Wilson quickly pulled the door open/shut. Help me pull the trunk into the corner.THESAURUStug – to pull something suddenly, especially several times with small movements: The little boy was tugging at her sleeve.drag – to pull something somewhere, usually along the ground: I dragged the chair upstairs.haul – to pull something heavy, often using a rope: Fishermen hauled in their nets.tow – to pull another vehicle or boat: Some pickup trucks were towing trailers.heave – to pull or lift something very heavy, especially with one movement: We managed to heave the piano into position.► see thesaurus at push12REMOVE [transitive] to remove something from its place, especially by using force: She has to have her wisdom teeth pulled. The baby’s pulled everything out of the cupboards.3MAKE something FOLLOW YOU [intransitive, transitive] to use a rope, chain, your hands, etc. to make something move behind you in the direction you are moving ANT push: The car was pulling a camper behind it.4MUSCLE [transitive] medicine to injure a muscle by stretching it too much during physical activity: Martinez pulled a groin muscle and had to leave the game.THESAURUShurt, injure, break, bruise, sprain, twist, strain, dislocate► see thesaurus at hurt1 (1)5pull somebody’s leg informal to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke: I think he was just pulling your leg.6pull strings to secretly use your influence with important people in order to get something or to help someone: Barry pulled some strings and got us tickets for the football game.7MOVE YOUR BODY a)[intransitive, transitive] to move your body or part of your body away from someone or something: She pulled away from him in horror. b)[transitive] to use force to move your body somewhere: The kids pulled themselves up onto the platform.8CLOTHING [intransitive, transitive] to put on or take off clothing, usually quickly: He pulled off his gloves and placed them on the dresser.9pull your weight to do your share of the work: If you don’t start pulling your weight around here, you’ll be fired!10pull a stunt/trick/joke/prank informal to do something that annoys or harms other people: Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again!11TRICK [transitive] spoken to deceive or trick someone: What are you trying to pull? Are you trying to pull a fast one on me?12pull the strings to control something, especially when you are not the person who is supposed to be controlling it: Who is really pulling the strings in the White House?13SWITCH [transitive] to move a control such as a switch or trigger toward you to make a piece of equipment work: She raised the gun and pulled the trigger.14GUN/KNIFE [transitive] to take out a gun or knife ready to use it: Suddenly the man pulled a gun and began shooting.15pull the rug out from under somebody to suddenly take away something that someone was depending on to achieve what s/he wantedpull apart phrasal verb to separate something into two or more pieces or groups: Loosen the roots and gently pull the plants apart. The ethnic problems here are similar to the ones that pulled Yugoslavia apart.pull away phrasal verb1to move ahead of a competitor by going faster or being more successful: Chicago pulled away in the third quarter to win 107–76.2to start to drive away from the place where your car was stopped: Grant pulled away from the curb.pull down phrasal verb to destroy a building, wall, etc.: Many of the houses were pulled down to make way for a new highway.pull for phrasal verb informal to encourage a person or team to succeed: Which team are you pulling for?pull in phrasal verb1pull (something ↔) in to move a car into a particular space and stop it: Kevin pulled in behind me and parked.2pull something ↔ in informal if you pull in a lot of money, you earn itpull off phrasal verb1pull something ↔ off informal to succeed in doing something difficult: Cruz expects to win the fight, but no one else thinks he can pull it off.2pull off something to leave a road in order to stop or to turn into another roadpull out phrasal verb1to drive a car onto a road from where you have stopped2to get out of a bad situation or dangerous place: Investors pulled out, selling all their shares.3pull somebody/something ↔ out to get someone out of a bad situation or dangerous place: We plan to pull our troops out of the area.pull over phrasal verb to drive to the side of a road and stop your car, or to make someone do this: We didn’t realize we were speeding until the highway patrol pulled us over.pull through phrasal verb1pull (somebody) through (something) to stay alive after a serious injury or illness, or to help someone do this: We all prayed that he would pull through.2pull through something to continue to live or exist after being in a difficult or upsetting situation: The city managed to pull through its financial crisis.pull together phrasal verb1to work hard with other people to achieve something: After the hurricane, neighbors pulled together to help each other.2pull yourself together informal to force yourself to stop being nervous, afraid, or disorganized: A year after the accident, she’s finally starting to pull herself together.pull up phrasal verb1to stop the vehicle you are driving: A red Buick pulled up at the stop lights.2pull up a chair/stool etc. to get a chair and sit down near someone who is already sitting
