Learning / English Dictionary

PULL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you

Example:

his strenuous pulling strained his back

Synonyms:

pull; pulling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("pull" is a kind of...):

actuation; propulsion (the act of propelling)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pull"):

drag (the act of dragging (pulling with force))

draw; haul; haulage (the act of drawing or hauling something)

jerk; tug (a sudden abrupt pull)

draft; draught; drawing (the act of moving a load by drawing or pulling)

deracination; excision; extirpation (the act of pulling up or out; uprooting; cutting off from existence)

pluck (the act of pulling and releasing a taut cord)

traction ((orthopedics) the act of pulling on a bone or limb (as in a fracture) to relieve pressure or align parts in a special way during healing)

Derivation:

pull (cause to move by pulling)

pull (direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes)

pull (apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A sustained effort

Example:

it was a long pull but we made it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("pull" is a kind of...):

effort; elbow grease; exertion; sweat; travail (use of physical or mental energy; hard work)

Derivation:

pull (perform an act, usually with a negative connotation)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke)

Example:

he took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly

Synonyms:

drag; puff; pull

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("pull" is a kind of...):

aspiration; breathing in; inhalation; inspiration; intake (the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pull"):

toke (a puff of a marijuana or hashish cigarette)

Holonyms ("pull" is a part of...):

smoke; smoking (the act of smoking tobacco or other substances)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A device used for pulling something

Example:

he grabbed the pull and opened the drawer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("pull" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pull"):

pull chain (a chain (usually with a handle at the end) that is pulled in order to operate some mechanism (e.g. to flush a toilet))

bellpull (a handle or cord that is pulled to ring a doorbell or a servant's bell etc.)

Derivation:

pull (direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Special advantage or influence

Example:

the chairman's nephew has a lot of pull

Synonyms:

clout; pull

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("pull" is a kind of...):

advantage; vantage (the quality of having a superior or more favorable position)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The force used in pulling

Example:

the pull of the current

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("pull" is a kind of...):

force ((physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity)

Derivation:

pull (direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes)

pull (apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A sharp strain on muscles or ligaments

Example:

he was sidelined with a hamstring pull

Synonyms:

pull; twist; wrench

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("pull" is a kind of...):

harm; hurt; injury; trauma (any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pull"):

sprain (a painful injury to a joint caused by a sudden wrenching of its ligaments)

Derivation:

pull (strain abnormally)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Strain abnormally

Example:

The athlete pulled a tendon in the competition

Synonyms:

overstretch; pull

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

injure; wound (cause injuries or bodily harm to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pull (a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take away

Example:

pull the old soup cans from the supermarket shelf

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Verb group:

draw; get out; pull; pull out; take out (bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Take sides with; align oneself with; show strong sympathy for

Example:

Are you siding with the defender of the title?

Synonyms:

pull; root for

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

side (take sides for or against)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense

Example:

extract information from the telegram

Synonyms:

draw out; extract; pull; pull out; pull up; rip out; take out; tear out

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Verb group:

draw; get out; pull; pull out; take out (bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull"):

squeeze out; wring out (extract (liquid) by squeezing or pressing)

demodulate (extract information from a modulated carrier wave)

thread (remove facial hair by tying a fine string around it and pulling at the string)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Strip of feathers

Example:

pluck the capon

Synonyms:

deplumate; deplume; displume; pluck; pull; tear

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

strip (remove the surface from)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Hit in the direction that the player is facing when carrying through the swing

Example:

pull the ball

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

hit (cause to move by striking)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Sentence frame:

It is ----ing

Sense 7

Meaning:

Cause to move by pulling

Example:

pull a sled

Synonyms:

draw; pull

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Verb group:

pull (apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion)

draw; pull (cause to move in a certain direction by exerting a force upon, either physically or in an abstract sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull"):

pick off; pluck; pull off; tweak (pull or pull out sharply)

winch (pull or lift up with or as if with a winch)

jerk; yank (pull, or move with a sudden movement)

attract; draw; draw in; pull; pull in (direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes)

cart; drag; hale; haul (draw slowly or heavily)

drag (pull, as against a resistance)

tug (pull or strain hard at)

pick; pluck; plunk (pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion)

stretch (pull in opposite directions)

abduct (pull away from the body)

adduct (draw a limb towards the body)

pull back (move to a rearward position; pull towards the back)

twitch (move or pull with a sudden motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

push (move with force)

Also:

pull up; pull out (remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense)

pull off (pull or pull out sharply)

pull in (direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes)

pull down (tear down so as to make flat with the ground)

pull back (move to a rearward position; pull towards the back)

pull along (pull along heavily, like a heavy load against a resistance)

Derivation:

puller (someone who pulls or tugs or drags in an effort to move something)

pulling; pull (the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes

Example:

The store owner was happy that the ad drew in many new customers

Synonyms:

attract; draw; draw in; pull; pull in

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

draw; pull (cause to move by pulling)

Verb group:

draw in; retract (pull inward or towards a center)

curl; curl up; draw in (shape one's body into a curl)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull"):

tug (pull hard)

arrest; catch; get (attract and fix)

draw in; retract (pull inward or towards a center)

bring (attract the attention of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

pull (the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you)

pull (a device used for pulling something)

pull (the force used in pulling)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Tear or be torn violently

Example:

pull the cooked chicken into strips

Synonyms:

pull; rend; rip; rive

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

bust; rupture; snap; tear (separate or cause to separate abruptly)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion

Example:

pull your knees towards your chin

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

force (do forcibly; exert force)

Verb group:

draw; pull (cause to move by pulling)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull"):

draw close (pull towards oneself)

draw back; pull back; retract (use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ))

pick at; pluck at; pull at (pluck or pull at with the fingers)

hike up; hitch up (pull up)

attract (exert a force on (a body) causing it to approach or prevent it from moving away)

gather (draw and bring closer)

twist; wrench (twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pull (the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you)

pull (the force used in pulling)

puller (someone who applies force so as to cause motion toward herself or himself)

pulling (the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Rein in to keep from winning a race

Example:

pull a horse

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

rein; rein in (stop or check by or as if by a pull at the reins)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 12

Meaning:

Operate when rowing a boat

Example:

pull the oars

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

row (propel with oars)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 13

Meaning:

Bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover

Example:

The mugger pulled a knife on his victim

Synonyms:

draw; get out; pull; pull out; take out

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Verb group:

pull (take away)

draw out; extract; pull; pull out; pull up; rip out; take out; tear out (remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense)

draw; take out (take liquid out of a container or well)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull"):

unsheathe (draw from a sheath or scabbard)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 14

Meaning:

Steer into a certain direction

Example:

Pull the car over

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

drive (cause someone or something to move by driving)

Verb group:

pull (move into a certain direction)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 15

Meaning:

Move into a certain direction

Example:

the car pulls to the right

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

drive (move by being propelled by a force)

Verb group:

pull (steer into a certain direction)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull"):

cut in (drive in front of another vehicle leaving too little space for that vehicle to maneuver comfortably)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 16

Meaning:

Cause to move in a certain direction by exerting a force upon, either physically or in an abstract sense

Example:

A declining dollar pulled down the export figures for the last quarter

Synonyms:

draw; pull

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Verb group:

draw; pull (cause to move by pulling)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 17

Meaning:

Perform an act, usually with a negative connotation

Example:

pull a bank robbery

Synonyms:

commit; perpetrate; pull

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "pull" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull"):

make (carry out or commit)

recommit (commit once again, as of a crime)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pull (a sustained effort)

Credits

 Context examples: 

"I stood behind the screen and pulled a thread, to make the eyes move and the mouth open."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Latimer pulled, and the next couple of steps were made with a rush.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

How dared he pull at a bell-rope in that reckless fashion?

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The young man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet out towards the blaze.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The sled sank deep into the drifted snow and pulled hard.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

They pulled up soon at the railway station.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home, and see if I can make it up any better.”

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

The act of pulling out, including the process of obtaining something from a mixture or compound by chemical or physical or mechanical means.

(Extraction, NCI Thesaurus)

“These are the sacrifices one makes for one’s country, Watson,” said Holmes, pulling at his little tuft.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

What a selfish beast I've been! and Laurie pulled his own hair, with a remorseful look.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)