I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a car pulls out (= moves away from the side of the road )
▪
A car suddenly pulled out in front of me.
a car pulls over (= stops on the side of a road )
a car pulls up (= stops )
▪
Why’s that police car pulling up here?
a train pulls into/out of a station
▪
The train pulled into Euston station and I got off.
back out of/pull out of a deal (= decide not to make a deal after discussing one )
▪
Twenty-five jobs were lost after their partner pulled out of the deal.
be pulled from the wreckage
▪
The driver was pulled from the wreckage of his car.
break/pull/struggle free
▪
She broke free from her attacker.
draw/close/pull the curtains (= close them )
▪
The room was dark because the curtains were drawn.
gravitational pull
▪
the gravitational pull of the Moon
open/draw (back)/pull back the curtains (= open them )
▪
Would you mind opening the curtains?
open/pull down/draw the blinds
pull a crowd/pull in the crowds (= make a lot of people come to something )
▪
Low prices always pull in the crowds.
pull a crowd/pull in the crowds (= make a lot of people come to something )
▪
Low prices always pull in the crowds.
pull down/knock down/tear down a building
▪
All the medieval buildings were torn down.
pull in the punters (= attract them )
▪
You need something to pull in the punters .
pull off a victory (= win when it is difficult )
▪
Martin pulled off a surprise victory in the semi-final.
pull off a win (= win when it is difficult to win )
▪
The side has pulled off two excellent wins in the past couple of weeks.
pull on/drag on/draw on a cigarette (= smoke a cigarette with deep breaths )
▪
Ed was leaning out of the window and dragging on a cigarette.
pull open/pull out a drawer (= open it )
▪
He pulled open drawers until he found the papers.
pull open/pull out a drawer (= open it )
▪
He pulled open drawers until he found the papers.
pull out of a dive (= stop a plane going down )
▪
He tried to pull out of the steep dive before hitting the ground.
pull tab
pull...apart
▪
A couple of men started fighting and we had to pull them apart .
pull/drag/haul yourself into a position
▪
She pulled herself into a sitting position.
pull/draw up a chair (= move a chair nearer someone or something )
▪
Pull up a chair and look at these pictures.
pulled a hamstring
▪
He pulled a hamstring in training.
pulled...tight
▪
She tied the rope around the post and pulled it tight .
pulling power
▪
Madonna’s pulling power filled the Arena for 10 nights.
pull/kick/slam sth shut
▪
He pulled the trapdoor shut over his head.
Pull...lever
▪
Pull this lever to open the gate.
pull/make a face (= to change your expression to make people laugh or to show you are angry, disappointed etc )
▪
Here’s a funny photo of Joe pulling a face.
pull/push yourself upright
▪
He pulled himself upright on the sofa.
pull/squeeze the trigger
▪
He took aim and squeezed the trigger.
pull/strain a muscle (= injure it )
▪
He pulled a muscle in his calf.
put on/pull on your gloves
▪
Eleanor put on her gloves and stood up.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
apart
▪
But I fear we are now being pulled apart - by commercial pressures and by the changes forced upon the broadcasting environment.
▪
He said something, and they pulled apart and both started talking at once.
▪
The kill is pulled apart in a way most people would find unedifying, despite assurances.
▪
He succeeded in pulling apart my clenched arms and started on my legs.
▪
Then comes anaphase I: the quartet of chromatids are pulled apart so as to form two sets of paired chromatids.
▪
Does the crust separate or pull apart from itself just under the dome?
▪
Concrete is extremely strong when compressed but has no strength at all when pulled apart .
away
▪
A minute later, Dougal tried to pull away .
▪
Leg meat should remain moist and just pull away from the bone.
▪
Eventually she pulled away a little, mopping her cheeks with her wrist.
▪
A letter sweater pulling away from blistered shoulders.
▪
I pull away to do seal impressions, rolling over and over.
▪
I saw his carriage, a fine two-horse brougham, pull away as I arrived for my visit.
▪
She stiffened, trying to pull away .
▪
My last look at them was from the back of a truck as I pulled away .
back
▪
He shuddered, his hand going to the bone handle of his dagger though he dare not pull back .
▪
Disconnection is equally easy, requiring just the grey collar to be pulled back .
▪
Then I felt him pull back , almost withdrawing, and he held himself there.
▪
Then, just as he responds, pull back out of range, deflecting his technique and countering.
▪
She seemed to shiver when they pulled back to look at each other, faces flushed with emotion.
▪
All units are to pull back .
▪
He was rather shy, and pulled back .
down
▪
The original bricks and mortar might be pulled down but Leatherslade Farm will remain for ever at the centre of the legend.
▪
It is even more disturbing that job market trends in the mid-1990s pulled down new groups of workers.
▪
He pulled down the wires that had let Jekub taste the electricity.
▪
The wrinkles around his mouth pulled down sternly as he talked about the upcoming missions.
▪
Other high-rise blocks are still being pulled down .
▪
Shops closed in mourning and even the post office pulled down its shutters.
▪
Here's a pair of jeans, pulled down to reveal a shaven male crotch.
▪
The pulling down of the right sheath, the ripping sound always convinced her it hurt.
in
▪
Charlotte walked slowly on to the platform and waited for her train to pull in .
▪
A secondary offering earlier this year pulled in about $ 26 million at $ 19. 25 per share.
▪
The 2x2 welt is useful if you want a rib which pulls in more tightly than the 2x1 welt.
▪
A train pulls in and the doors open.
▪
Even as recognition flashed into his mind, Ockleton pulled in by the hedge and stopped the car.
▪
I rounded the curve, looking for a place to pull in .
▪
Then Sir Alfred pulled in in his Bentley and promised me a free hand to design a car that worked.
▪
Secret Service agents estimate that the system pulled in about 40, 000 codes.
off
▪
Skill Oxton just failed to pull off victory at Hightown on a rain affected wicket.
▪
Straightening up after bending over to pull off her shoes was difficult.
▪
Langley pulled off a major surprise by beating title-chasing Gretna 2-1 away from home, despite having a man sent off.
▪
In one of the passes they pulled off the paved highway and parked out of sight of it, among limestone boulders.
▪
Super Channel wanted to run it but were told by the I.T.C. they'd be pulled off the air if they did.
▪
I think the message of this election is that the pro-family movement pulled off what it has never achieved in its history.
▪
A professional golfer tries to pull off a confidence trick against his own body.
▪
Both of those editions were pulled off the racks by supermarket chains that had received complaints from customers.
out
▪
Sofas and other furniture have been overturned, drawers pulled out , windows broken.
▪
When it happened, when she was pulled out like this, she felt sick, giddy and unbalanced.
▪
He pulled out all their chairs, handed them each an opened menu, then bowed and backed away.
▪
Ismail Sahputra, spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement, said as many as 30,000 soldiers would be pulled out .
▪
Then came the sudden peso devaluation that December, and Jimenez pulled out $ 70 million more.
▪
Mesh was in talks to buy the troubled company but pulled out at the last minute.
▪
He reached into a backpack and pulled out a small rug and put it out in front of me.
over
▪
Then a shin guard is pulled over the whole thing.
▪
When Jodzis did not pull over , officers used a car as a roadblock on a narrow street.
▪
Fifteen miles south of Garberville my eyes began to close and I pulled over and slept for half an hour.
▪
Alan Anderson pulled over to brace himself for the big-city traffic ahead.
▪
A side road appeared, a soft and dusty grey-white in the blackness, and they pulled over .
▪
Intrigued, she followed the car until the driver noticed she was being followed and pulled over .
▪
I pulled over to the emergency lane, barely able to see the other cars on the road.
▪
He put a tentative arm up; instantly one pulled over , in a rolling wave of black slush.
through
▪
The gate swung open and the Lada pulled through .
▪
Santamour wondered if they might pull through .
▪
Fortunately, though, we had a fighting spirit which helped us pull through .
▪
How else could he have pulled through , against such odds?
▪
Although his situation was critical - and, for a man of his age almost hopeless he pulled through .
▪
My gut feeling is that one way or another Congress will pull through .
▪
He pulled through , but then his kidneys failed and he died.
▪
Peggy and Jamie wait anxiously by Phil's bedside and it's soon clear that he's going to pull through .
together
▪
Double sets of wheels pull together like centipede rolling stock.
▪
But for those few in the know, it is easy to pull together these facts into an interesting whole.
▪
A useful activity is to pull together the governors of several neighbouring schools for training and updating on topical issues.
▪
Radical restructuring could work only if Sam had people on his side, pulling together instead of pulling the company apart.
▪
A nation that might disagree with its leaders at times, but will pull together for its nation's sake.
▪
But I get the feeling we are beginning to work against each other instead of pulling together .
▪
Robust white zips bite tightly pulling together taut panels of see-through plastic.
▪
Work-inhibited children have the best chance to grow out of their insufficiency when parents and teachers pull together in a positive direction.
up
▪
Peter pulled up , but to his horror the glider chose to pull up as its method of collision avoidance.
▪
I pulled up higher than the rest of the flight and made small, quick turns left and right.
▪
The woman would pull up the sheet to her neck.
▪
Others chimed in, saying those who have it made are pulling up the ladder on those less fortunate.
▪
He now pulled up a chair and, turning it about, sat on it, his elbows resting on the back.
▪
He pulls up a chair as she starts another game.
▪
He pulled up , climbed out, and removed the plastic cone that had kept the space free.
▪
The 1P signaled me to pull up the collective.
■ NOUN
car
▪
Outside, a car had just pulled into the driveway.
▪
I heard a car pull up in front of the apartment and heard the door slam shut.
▪
Back at work the next day, the cars may pull up to docking stations and pump electricity into offices or factories.
▪
Nine-stone Deirdre, 39, halted the driverless car by pulling on the door handle.
▪
The car pulled up and one of the policemen called to Alvin to come over.
▪
I heard a bunch of cars pulling up and looked out the window.
chair
▪
He pulled back her chair and Evelyn sat down, her shoulder touching his arm for a second.
▪
I pulled my chair close and put my arm around her shoulder.
▪
I pulled a chair away from the table.
▪
Anyway, I pull up a chair by the bed and say hello.
▪
She pulled a wooden chair across in front of him and sat sideways on it, leaning on the back, looking at him.
▪
I long to pull out a chair and tell her that she can rest as long as she likes.
▪
Nevertheless, he pulled out a chair for her.
▪
Henry pulled a chair out for me and then poured me some coffee while I looked around.
curtain
▪
Athelstan pulled the curtain back and wrinkled his nose at the smell.
▪
When you come right down to it, I neither pulled the curtain nor turned off the light.
▪
He pulled back a curtain revealing a brick wall close outside the window.
▪
Squirt pulled back the curtain and went out.
▪
The effort of pulling back the curtain brought a renewed stab of pain.
▪
At the top she would lead him into a booth and pull the curtain shut behind him.
▪
He pulled back one curtain and looked at his watch.
face
▪
His hand was warm; he pulled her face to his face with his warm hand.
▪
He told me that the oxygen mask had pulled away from my face some, and that I was probably just blacking out.
▪
She pulled a face at the speaker.
▪
I wear sweats and my hair is pulled from my face with a rubber band.
▪
At the end, she pulls her face into a lion.
▪
Then she pulled a rueful face .
▪
She gasped and looked over her shoulder, pulling her face together.
▪
He would never ask her why she was pulling faces , in case it encouraged her to pull worse ones.
gun
▪
But he ducks, wrenches at my fingers, and pulls his gun hand free.
▪
Then, slowly pulling my own gun away from his head, I continued walking until I was directly opposite him.
▪
She said that, as the officer felt threatened, he pulled his gun and fired off a warning shot.
▪
He pulled out a huge gun , snugged inside a light tan shoulder holster.
▪
It's not every day a young woman pulls a gun on a burglar.
▪
Confronting two young men outside a Vista apartment building, 18-year-old Lane pulled a gun .
▪
We featured dramatic pictures of two of the masked boys pulling a replica gun on our front and centre pages.
▪
Many horses died of starvation, and most of those that survived grew too weak for use in pulling the lightest guns .
hair
▪
Her blonde hair was pulled back into a smooth chignon and tied with a yellow silk bow.
▪
Tom kept fooling with my hair , pulling out one pin after another.
▪
Her long black hair was pulled back in a pony-tail.
▪
Next, her long red hair was pulled so hard she felt as if it was going to come out by the roots.
▪
Her hair was pulled back from her face and tied in a bun.
leg
▪
Charles Greenwich London Are you pulling my leg ?
▪
Foster pulled his legs back from the fire.
▪
Cross the ankles, then try to pull the legs apart, using the strength from the legs to work against themselves.
▪
Standing at the kitchen counter, whining baby pulling on my legs .
▪
Then pull each leg away in opposite directions as far as it will go.
▪
Sure, but-you think he was pulling my leg ?
▪
Turn away, swing the arms and club and then pull the body and legs through.
▪
Then Elmer gathers up the reins, leans back, and pulls his legs back, toes down in the stirrups.
lever
▪
Then Tony pulled the lever and the wheel began to slow down.
▪
They are let, loose by a man in a Plexiglas bubble controlling every-thing by pulling levers .
▪
She pulled a lever at the base of the cage.
▪
The blacks went in, pulled the lever , came out, and got their chickens.
▪
Amin pulled one of the levers and a noise came from inside.
▪
Complete the lace message - pull the selected lever and move the lace carriage to the right.
▪
Card No. 3 has a new instruction: you will pull the selector lever on occasions and no needles will be selected.
▪
Angalo pulled one of the levers back a bit.
muscle
▪
It tends to go on strike by pulling a muscle or twisting a joint.
▪
These help reduce the risk of pulled muscles .
▪
Naked, Julia stretched under the sheet, stretched so hard she pulled her stomach muscles to their full length.
▪
It came 11 days ago, when Ramon Martinez pulled a groin muscle and had to leave a game in Chicago.
▪
I was still at the crease, but having pulled a muscle in my leg I was batting with a runner.
▪
Washington pulled the muscle while covering Galloway in the third quarter.
▪
On the Thursday Luis Mendoza pulled a groin muscle , so Luke had to take his place.
▪
Slowly and smoothly pull your abdominal muscles in tight, keeping your chest and thighs in contact with the floor.
plug
▪
The banks can pull the plug .
▪
Newt Gingrich pulled the plug on ethics reform.
▪
Practically, the banks are not wishing to pull the plug .
▪
Then, on March 28, 1980, with no warning to the workers, Harvester pulled the plug .
▪
Mathie was looking for work after he decided to pull the plug on the 20-year-old classic emporium.
▪
They studied referees' reports and may recommend pulling the plug again after the final at Wembley on March 27.
▪
The whirlpool appears reliably whenever we pull the plug .
punch
▪
Nizan generally spoke his mind and refused to pull his punches .
▪
It also ended speculation that Cuomo might pull his punches in criticizing Clinton on the welfare issue.
▪
From the pulpit Rev Paul Andrianatos pulls no punches .
▪
Greenberg's judgment pulls no punches .
▪
That is why the transport white paper pulled its punches and proposed more road-building.
▪
They never pull any punches the way happiness does.
▪
The backdrop of 1950s Harlem is violent and sinister and the direction pulls few punches .
rug
▪
So the Government helped out by pulling the rug from under savers.
▪
He reached into a backpack and pulled out a small rug and put it out in front of me.
▪
It rather pulls the rug from under all those James Bond films.
▪
Congressional Republicans are tempted to pull the rug out from under Bill Clinton wherever possible.
▪
It snuggles up to something familiar then pulls the rug out and dares you to keep your balance.
station
▪
He pulled into the station car park, slammed on the brakes, and made no effort to get out of the van.
▪
I pulled into a gas station this morning.
▪
Some one uncoupled that car at Cartier and rigged some way of pulling it out of the station into the darkness before releasing it.
▪
Forty-five minutes later, the Aries-1B lunar carrier pulled away from the Station .
▪
It was like the noise made by a steam locomotive pulling out from a station .
▪
Back at work the next day, the cars may pull up to docking stations and pump electricity into offices or factories.
▪
Fifteen minutes later the locomotive will pull out of the station hauling an express for London.
string
▪
But if he was the puppet, who was pulling the strings and to what dance?
▪
He pulled strings to get the two of them into a university.
▪
Offshore a small tug belched black smoke as she struggled to pull a string of barges.
▪
This, of course, leaves Karadzic amply able to pull strings from backstage.
▪
Mrs Naulls was in Sunningdale because her son Stanley was a Hilderbridge councillor and had pulled strings .
▪
She, who had always pulled the strings , to have found herself in this position.
train
▪
Charlotte walked slowly on to the platform and waited for her train to pull in.
▪
The train pulled out and I never saw the town again.
▪
The platform is brightly lit and filled with people waiting for the train to pull in.
▪
As I burst on to the empty platform, the train starts to pull away.
▪
When the train pulled into Los Angeles, black passengers could sit anywhere they wanted.
▪
He was so near, he could see the trains pulling in and out.
trick
▪
A professional golfer tries to pull off a confidence trick against his own body.
▪
And the rooms pull a few surrealistic tricks with their architecture.
▪
Supposing Gesner pulled a trick , or she fell over.
▪
If he pulls that trick , the finals are within his and the Lakers' reach.
▪
Old Rudolf being smart enough to pull a trick like that!
▪
Then, as the United States Army neared, the well-mobilized army of Young pulled a trick .
▪
The veterans can pull off a few tricks , too.
trigger
▪
Without adequate built-in safeguards, there will be other Susan Allens who will pull the trigger before they cry for help.
▪
He checked that the breech was empty of bullets, then pumped the rifle up and pulled the trigger .
▪
But never mind, though their blue-veined old hands might be trembling their fingers could still pull a trigger .
▪
Jackson is convinced Ray pulled the trigger .
▪
He had tried several times at a local shooting range but he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger .
▪
She put the barrel of a pistol in her mouth and pulled the trigger .
▪
He pulled the trigger but the chamber was empty.
▪
Now we need to pull the trigger .
wool
▪
You can not pull the wool over Hooper's eyes.
▪
But it's not easy to pull the wool over our eyes.
▪
He found out we had been pulling the wool over his eyes for quite some time.
▪
And to think she'd pulled the wool over Miss Phoebe's eyes!
▪
Then put the wool around the needle and pull the wool through both of the stitches.
▪
You can't pull the wool over my eyes like that.
▪
There are people who can pull the wool over peoples' eyes.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be drawn/pulled/picked out of the/a hat
be tearing/pulling your hair out
▪
Anyone else would be tearing his hair out, confronted by a pack of jabbering foreigners, but does Feargal?
▪
I was pulling my hair out.
draw/pull in your horns
▪
However, it now plans to draw in its horns in anticipation of declining demand for farm machinery by cutting back production.
not pull any/your punches
pull a stunt
▪
He says he loves his kids, but when he pulls a stunt like this it makes me wonder.
pull out all the stops
▪
Fred's pulling out all the stops for his daughter's wedding.
▪
If we pull out all the stops we should still be able to meet our deadline.
▪
They gave me a great leaving party - they really pulled out all the stops .
▪
CafÄ Pinot is pulling out all the stops with its four-course aphrodisiac menu.
▪
Judith Milner, a Healthcare consultant from Leeds pulls out all the stops when it comes to selling the range of services.
▪
Lott pulled out all the stops .
▪
Miss Pickering's pulled out all the stops this time.
▪
Soap bosses pulled out all the stops so football fever could infect Albert Square.
▪
There were occasions when Bloomsbury House pulled out all the stops on behalf of children who were clearly gifted - usually in the arts.
▪
We pulled out all the stops and gave the company a response in record time.
pull rank (on sb)
▪
She never acted like an authority figure or pulled rank on me.
▪
He pulled rank and went to bed at half past eleven, leaving me on for the late-night drinks.
▪
I do not enjoy pulling rank , but I do not tolerate unmanly gossip and back-biting.
▪
In the end, Naughtie pulled rank , and took on the task himself.
▪
Vi had the situation under control but the chief could, and probably would, pull rank .
pull sth to bits
▪
Jahsaxa's pals had virtually pulled hir to bits .
pull the plug (on sth)
▪
But the firm pulled the plug on the scheme last week, leaving McAlpine fuming.
▪
George Bush pulled the plug out here fairly early.
▪
Mir guys, pull the plug .
▪
Practically, the banks are not wishing to pull the plug .
▪
The banks can pull the plug .
▪
Then, on March 28, 1980, with no warning to the workers, Harvester pulled the plug .
▪
They studied referees' reports and may recommend pulling the plug again after the final at Wembley on March 27.
▪
When the gap gets to two seconds or less, I pull the plug .
pull the rug (out) from under sb/sb's feet
pull the wool over sb's eyes
▪
Don't try and pull the wool over my eyes - I can tell you've been smoking.
▪
The politicians are just trying to pull the wool over voters' eyes again.
▪
But it's not easy to pull the wool over our eyes.
▪
He found out we had been pulling the wool over his eyes for quite some time.
▪
The only conclusion a consumer can reach is that Microsoft managed to pull the wool over the eyes of millions of users.
▪
There are people who can pull the wool over peoples' eyes.
▪
You can't pull the wool over my eyes like that.
▪
You can not pull the wool over Hooper's eyes.
pull up stakes
▪
Our family pulled up stakes every few years when Dad was in the Army.
▪
Moreover, when a business pulls up stakes or downsizes, an entire program can wither overnight.
▪
So, he pulled up stakes and moved to Allen County to oversee a farm.
▪
Sometimes, staying put is a greater act of courage than pulling up stakes and starting anew.
pull up the drawbridge
pull your socks up
▪
Maybe we needed to pull our socks up and we are trying to do just that.
▪
With 16 games to go Oxford have still got time to pull their socks up.
▪
You're not exactly a young lad any more so you've got to pull your socks up.
pull your weight
▪
If you don't start pulling your weight around here, you're fired.
▪
All members were expected to pull their weight .
▪
Be firm, and tell him that he must either pull his weight or leave.
▪
For the average business, pulses and linseed didn't pull their weight .
▪
He didn't pull his weight , but knew how to keep it from the consultants.
▪
He just didn't pull his weight domestically.
▪
Some members of this class haven't been pulling their weight .
▪
The superiors counted on the new managers to pull their weight in contributing to the superiors' agendas.
▪
You subs are not pulling your weight .
pull/bring sb up short
▪
A moment later, realising she was teetering on the brink of self-pity, she brought herself up short .
▪
A moment later, though, and she was bringing herself up short .
▪
But Blue brings himself up short , realizing that they have nothing really to do with Black.
▪
However, never bring a preclear up short on this material.
▪
She has a red face and a manner that pulls people up short .
▪
This brings us up short at the outset of our study.
pull/get your finger out
▪
You could easily finish your essay if you just sit down and pull your finger out!
▪
So, come on shoe companies, pull your finger out, deliver the goods you advertise.
pull/haul yourself up by your bootstraps
pull/rip/tear sb/sth to pieces
▪
And having got under them, he can't half tear them to pieces .
▪
Brandon Thomas opted to unveil his Aunt away from London fearful that the capital's theatre critics would tear it to pieces .
▪
He was thrown from his chariot and his horses tore him to pieces and devoured him.
▪
I had been given the power to obliterate, to steal a body from its grave and tear it to pieces .
▪
If Hyde returns while I am writing this confession, he will tear it to pieces to annoy me.
▪
They will tear you to pieces .
▪
We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws.
tug/tear/pull at sb's heartstrings
▪
It pulls at the heartstrings of every agent out there to see a young lady or anyone jeopardized by these conditions.
▪
That night the little creature did not stop crying and its pitiful little squeak tore at Aggie's heartstrings .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Pull the chair nearer to the fire.
▪
a tractor pulling a plough
▪
a train pulling 64 boxcars
▪
Bagert is expected to pull just enough votes to win.
▪
Crawford had been ordered to take a day's rest after pulling a leg muscle.
▪
Don't start pulling yet - wait till I say go.
▪
Everyone took hold of the rope and pulled hard.
▪
He pulled her towards him and kissed her.
▪
I pulled a muscle trying to move the piano into the apartment.
▪
Sampras dropped out of the tournament after pulling a calf muscle.
▪
She's going to have her wisdom teeth pulled.
▪
She raised the gun and pulled the trigger.
▪
She was angry enough to pull her kids from the school.
▪
The car seems to be pulling to the left.
▪
The Queen's carriage was pulled by two white horses.
▪
The team was pulled at the last minute.
▪
You need to pull this lever to start the machine.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Eventually a farmer on a tractor pulled up.
▪
He pulled up for the jumper and it rolled nicely in the rim.
▪
I can hear him pulling on his goddamn cigarette.
▪
I put my hand into my jacket pocket, felt for the pack, and pulled one out.
▪
If you can pull the paper out easily, the seals probably need replacing.
▪
Marcus then undid Patrick's pyjama jacket and started to try to pull it off, then decided not to.
▪
That bloke who keeps pulling his double set of teeth out had pinched the lot.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
gravitational
▪
As they were collapsing, the gravitational pull of matter outside these regions might start them rotating slightly.
▪
After a while we are aware of a deviation, the gravitational pull of an unseen planet.
▪
Spring Tides - Moon and Sun in opposition, with combined gravitational pull . 4.
▪
As if this were an apex of this island, its source of gravitational pull .
▪
The complete system involved includes a flat surface - a table, perhaps - and a steady downward gravitational pull .
▪
Such a situation creates a gravitational pull toward contractual arrangements and a corresponding push away from employment in the traditional sense.
▪
What, even so, of the required gravitational pull ?
▪
These counteract the tendency for the body to contract under its own gravitational pull .
magnetic
▪
The newly created Reclamation Service exerted a magnetic pull on the best engineering graduates in the country.
strong
▪
The closeness was as strong as the pull of their own lives; they lost the pain of individuality within its protection.
▪
There was also a strong pull toward change.
▪
Why does their melancholy sport exert such a strong pull on my heart?
▪
They immediately began to produce stronger pulls than me at a slower, more measured speed.
▪
York had a stronger pull than smaller towns and attracted migrants over much longer distances than most places.
■ NOUN
ring
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Lucker pulls the ring pull and extends it to him.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be drawn/pulled/picked out of the/a hat
draw/pull in your horns
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However, it now plans to draw in its horns in anticipation of declining demand for farm machinery by cutting back production.
not pull any/your punches
pull out all the stops
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Fred's pulling out all the stops for his daughter's wedding.
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If we pull out all the stops we should still be able to meet our deadline.
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They gave me a great leaving party - they really pulled out all the stops .
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CafÄ Pinot is pulling out all the stops with its four-course aphrodisiac menu.
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Judith Milner, a Healthcare consultant from Leeds pulls out all the stops when it comes to selling the range of services.
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Lott pulled out all the stops .
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Miss Pickering's pulled out all the stops this time.
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Soap bosses pulled out all the stops so football fever could infect Albert Square.
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There were occasions when Bloomsbury House pulled out all the stops on behalf of children who were clearly gifted - usually in the arts.
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We pulled out all the stops and gave the company a response in record time.
pull rank (on sb)
▪
She never acted like an authority figure or pulled rank on me.
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He pulled rank and went to bed at half past eleven, leaving me on for the late-night drinks.
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I do not enjoy pulling rank , but I do not tolerate unmanly gossip and back-biting.
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In the end, Naughtie pulled rank , and took on the task himself.
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Vi had the situation under control but the chief could, and probably would, pull rank .
pull sth to bits
▪
Jahsaxa's pals had virtually pulled hir to bits .
pull up stakes
▪
Our family pulled up stakes every few years when Dad was in the Army.
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Moreover, when a business pulls up stakes or downsizes, an entire program can wither overnight.
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So, he pulled up stakes and moved to Allen County to oversee a farm.
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Sometimes, staying put is a greater act of courage than pulling up stakes and starting anew.
pull up the drawbridge
pull your socks up
▪
Maybe we needed to pull our socks up and we are trying to do just that.
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With 16 games to go Oxford have still got time to pull their socks up.
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You're not exactly a young lad any more so you've got to pull your socks up.
pull your weight
▪
If you don't start pulling your weight around here, you're fired.
▪
All members were expected to pull their weight .
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Be firm, and tell him that he must either pull his weight or leave.
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For the average business, pulses and linseed didn't pull their weight .
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He didn't pull his weight , but knew how to keep it from the consultants.
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He just didn't pull his weight domestically.
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Some members of this class haven't been pulling their weight .
▪
The superiors counted on the new managers to pull their weight in contributing to the superiors' agendas.
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You subs are not pulling your weight .
pull/bring sb up short
▪
A moment later, realising she was teetering on the brink of self-pity, she brought herself up short .
▪
A moment later, though, and she was bringing herself up short .
▪
But Blue brings himself up short , realizing that they have nothing really to do with Black.
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However, never bring a preclear up short on this material.
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She has a red face and a manner that pulls people up short .
▪
This brings us up short at the outset of our study.
pull/get your finger out
▪
You could easily finish your essay if you just sit down and pull your finger out!
▪
So, come on shoe companies, pull your finger out, deliver the goods you advertise.
pull/haul yourself up by your bootstraps
pull/rip/tear sb/sth to pieces
▪
And having got under them, he can't half tear them to pieces .
▪
Brandon Thomas opted to unveil his Aunt away from London fearful that the capital's theatre critics would tear it to pieces .
▪
He was thrown from his chariot and his horses tore him to pieces and devoured him.
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I had been given the power to obliterate, to steal a body from its grave and tear it to pieces .
▪
If Hyde returns while I am writing this confession, he will tear it to pieces to annoy me.
▪
They will tear you to pieces .
▪
We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws.
tug/tear/pull at sb's heartstrings
▪
It pulls at the heartstrings of every agent out there to see a young lady or anyone jeopardized by these conditions.
▪
That night the little creature did not stop crying and its pitiful little squeak tore at Aggie's heartstrings .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Give the rope a good pull .
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I couldn't remember where the pull was to open the parachute.
▪
I took one last pull from the water jug.
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She gave a gentle pull on the reins, and the horse stopped.
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That door sticks a bit - give it a good pull .
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The pull of the Bavarian countryside is strong.
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The former Senator has a lot of pull with the Republicans in Congress.
▪
The moon's pull on the Earth's oceans creates the tides.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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After about a year I gave in to the pull and discovered that fatherhood has made me a much more serious person.
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An average student, he felt the pull and excitement of the Army, so he left college to enlist in 1942.
▪
Another pull for ten minutes or so brought me up on to the summit, where I sat down to have my lunch.
▪
As they were collapsing, the gravitational pull of matter outside these regions might start them rotating slightly.
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Specifically, investors should diversify with quality stocks and continue to invest for the long pull .
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That pull does not usually create as much immediate conflict for them.
▪
The final pull of day is seduced away to another gathering.