(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
When you ~ something, you hold it firmly and use force in order to move it towards you or away from its previous position.
They have ~ed out patients’ teeth unnecessarily...
Erica was solemn, ~ing at her blonde curls...
I helped ~ him out of the water...
Someone ~ed her hair...
He knew he should ~ the trigger, but he was suddenly paralysed by fear...
Pull as hard as you can...
I let myself out into the street and ~ed the door shut.
VERB: V n with adv, V prep, V n prep, V n, V n, V, V n adj
•
Pull is also a noun.
The feather must be removed with a straight, firm ~.
N-COUNT: usu sing
2.
When you ~ an object from a bag, pocket, or cupboard, you put your hand in and bring the object out.
Jack ~ed the slip of paper from his shirt pocket...
Wade walked quickly to the refrigerator and ~ed out another beer.
VERB: V n prep, V n with adv
3.
When a vehicle, animal, or person ~s a cart or piece of machinery, they are attached to it or hold it, so that it moves along behind them when they move forward.
This is early-20th-century rural Sussex, when horses still ~ed the plough...
VERB: V n
4.
If you ~ yourself or ~ a part of your body in a particular direction, you move your body or a part of your body with effort or force.
Hughes ~ed himself slowly to his feet...
He ~ed his arms out of the sleeves...
She tried to ~ her hand free...
Lillian brushed his cheek with her fingertips. He ~ed away and said, ‘Don’t!’
VERB: V pron-refl prep/adv, V n prep/adv, V n adj, V adv
5.
When a driver or vehicle ~s to a stop or a halt, the vehicle stops.
He ~ed to a stop behind a pickup truck...
VERB: V prep
6.
In a race or contest, if you ~ ahead of or ~ away from an opponent, you gradually increase the amount by which you are ahead of them.
He ~ed away, extending his lead to 15 seconds...
VERB: V adv
7.
If you ~ something apart, you break or divide it into small pieces, often in order to put them back together again in a different way.
If I wanted to improve the car significantly I would have to ~ it apart and start again.
VERB: V n with adv
8.
If someone ~s a gun or a knife on someone else, they take out a gun or knife and threaten the other person with it. (INFORMAL)
They had a fight. One of them ~ed a gun on the other...
I ~ed a knife and threatened her.
VERB: V n on n, V n
9.
To ~ crowds, viewers, or voters means to attract them. (INFORMAL)
The organisers have to employ performers to ~ a crowd.
VERB: V n
•
Pull in means the same as ~ .
They provided a far better news service and ~ed in many more viewers...
She is still beautiful, and still ~ing them in at sixty.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P
10.
A ~ is a strong physical force which causes things to move in a particular direction.
...the ~ of gravity.
N-COUNT
11.
If you ~ a muscle, you injure it by straining it.
Dave ~ed a back muscle and could barely kick the ball...
He suffered a ~ed calf muscle.
VERB: V n, V-ed
12.
To ~ a stunt or a trick on someone means to do something dramatic or silly in order to get their attention or trick them. (INFORMAL)
Everyone saw the stunt you ~ed on me.
VERB: V n on n, also V n
13.
If someone ~s someone else, they succeed in attracting them sexually and in spending the rest of the evening or night with them. (BRIT INFORMAL)
VERB: V n, V
14.
to ~ oneself up by one’s bootstraps: see bootstraps
to ~ a face: see face
to ~ someone’s leg: see leg
to ~ your punches: see punch
to ~ rank: see rank
to ~ out all the stops: see stop
to ~ strings: see string
to ~ your weight: see weight
to ~ the wool over someone’s eyes: see wool