PULLING Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

pulling

verb

present participle of pull

as in hauling

to cause to follow by applying steady force on a team of horses pulling a heavy wagon

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in prying

to draw out by force or with effort the dentist had to struggle to pull the tooth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stretching

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure lift the crate carefully, or you'll pull a muscle

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of pulling That said, pulling one off takes a bit more intention than simply slipping it on. — Alyssa Rotunno, InStyle, 10 Aug. 2026 By pulling the air over its surface, the system prevents airflow separation that normally limits conventional sails. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026 Taylor Farms -- the massive food producer linked to the record cyclosporiasis outbreak -- is now pulling more than a dozen products with jalapeños from grocery stores across the United States. — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026 The tree pulling program is expected to reduce orchard acreage by about 3,000, roughly a quarter of the total cling peach acreage in the state, according to the USDA. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Another barricaded herself into an interior office with two other people, pulling a heavy filing cabinet in front of the door. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 The documentary crew would often turn in for the night after pulling 10-hour days, while sellers like Olive and Nikki kept moving product well into the evening hours. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 7 Aug. 2026 Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba Mexican Eats responded by pulling jalapeños from their respective menus out of an abundance of caution. — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026 At the end of her emotional post, Kimberly included an old photo of James pulling each of his children into a huge hug. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling

Verb

DeKalb County Sheriff's officials said, shortly after noon, a 2025 Mazda CX-5, a Mack semi-tractor trailer hauling gravel, and a 2013 Nissan Altima collided at the intersection of Illinois Route 23 and Melms Road.

— Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
If life includes hauling a small child in a safety seat, the CLA’s rear door frame will be a challenge when hoisting out or placing a small child.

— Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of hauling

Verb

Netflis is keeping the logline a hop, skip and a jump from prying eyes but it is known to be a mother-daughter story involving teleportation.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
This $10 option comes with three privacy glass screen protectors that will shield your screen from damage and prying eyes at the same time.

— Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of prying

Verb

The Pro Bowl running back participated in the early walk-through session and team stretching period before moving to the sideline to work with trainers.

— CBS News, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Due to this, a few individuals find stretching the lid to fit over the container to be occasionally challenging.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

That wider perspective matters, because sovereignty isn't achieved simply by dragging every service into the spare room.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026
The video opens with Itami dragging a half-conscious Burke by his legs and delivering him to a young couple on a crime spree.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of dragging

Verb

The episode feinted toward genuine rapprochement before yanking the rug out, leaving the Gang pelted with an industrial-grade indoor blizzard and then happily chucking rocks at passing trains, as was Mac and Charlie’s childhood tradition.

— Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
The tentacular Scylla is seen briefly but makes an impact, yanking sailors off Odysseus’s ship in a series of loud jump scares.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026

Definition of yanking

Verb

Making ends meet continues to be a struggle for many families, and now back-to-school shopping is straining even more families' budgets.

— Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
As a result, the infrastructure is straining against a complexity that grows with every product generation.

— Thomas Ryd, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of straining

Verb

Other players rushed to the scene, with linebacker Dre Greenlaw tugging right tackle Colton McKivitz to the ground, prompting fullback Kyle Juszczyk to enter the fray and a dogpile ensued.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
After tugging on the singer's arm, the concertgoer was quickly apprehended by security.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Definition of tugging

Verb

Asteroid mining is also mentioned as a potential opportunity, which would entail extracting metals and other critical resources from near-Earth and main-belt asteroids.

— Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
Rather than burning coal for energy or converting it into fuels, the process focuses on extracting carbon-rich molecular structures that can serve as feedstock for advanced engineering materials.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of extracting

Browse Nearby Words

pull in

pulling

pulling a face

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Style

“Pulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pulling

verb

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