pull-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈpu̇l-ˌəp How to pronounce pull-up (audio)
plural pull-ups
Synonyms of pull-upnext
: an exercise in which one hangs by the hands from a support (such as a horizontal bar) and pulls oneself up until the chin is level with the support
specifically : such an exercise done with the palms facing outward compare chin-up

pull up

2 of 2

verb

pulled up; pulling up; pulls up

transitive verb

1
: to bring to a stop : halt
2
: check, rebuke

intransitive verb

1
a
: to check oneself
b
: to come to an often abrupt halt : stop
2
: to draw even with others in a race

Synonyms of pull-up

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Verb

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Examples of pull-up in a Sentence

Verb the jockey tried to pull up the apparently injured horse
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.
Noun
Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026 Randle found him for a drive that produced a basket on a goaltending call, and a pull-up bank shot followed before the game was three minutes old. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
The mayor of the small Central Valley farm town of Kerman pulled up to a bakery, her cellphone camera recording, and confronted federal immigration agents conducting an early-morning operation in which multiple people were detained. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 The series begins with a prison bus pulling up to a correctional facility in Georgia, where the commander of jail operations, Major Boughner, announces how the 30 participants, 27 men and 3 women, will be divided. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pull-up

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1623, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pull-up was in 1623

Rhymes for pull-up

See All Rhymes for pull-up

Browse Nearby Words

pullulation
pull-up
pull up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pull-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pull-up. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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