pull off

verb

pulled off; pulling off; pulls off
Synonyms of pull offnext

transitive verb

: to carry out despite difficulties : accomplish successfully against odds
the team pulled off an upset

Synonyms of pull off

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Examples of pull off in a Sentence

the rebel forces pulled off a surprisingly successful offensive against the better equipped government troops
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All told the school estimates more than 250 staffers spent some 11,000 hours in meetings, photo shoots and sessions with internal groups, individual teams, adidas partners and campus stakeholders to pull off the switcheroo. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 In 1987, Detroit was battling for the AL East and pulled off a deadline deal, acquiring Doyle Alexander from the Atlanta Braves. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 Selick’s fellow peers in stop-motion animation, Chilean directors Cristobal León and Joaquín Cociña, pulled off a similar feat with their first proper foray into live-action filmmaking. — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 About 60,000 units have been pulled off the market entirely because renovation costs can’t be recovered under rent regulations, while getting a pipeline approved in New York State takes 15 years—both figures that broadly check out. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pull off

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pull off was in 1860

Rhymes for pull off

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Browse Nearby Words

Pullman National Monument
pull off
pull on
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Cite this Entry

“Pull off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull%20off. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pull off

Nglish: Translation of pull off for Spanish Speakers

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