PULL OUT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pull out mean? 

• PULL OUT (verb)
  The verb PULL OUT has 4 senses:

1. move out or away

2. bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover

3. remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense

4. remove oneself from an obligation

  Familiarity information: PULL OUT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PULL OUT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move out or away

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

get out; pull out

Context example:

The troops pulled out after the cease-fire

Hypernyms (to "pull out" is one way to...):

go away; go forth; leave (go away from a place)

Verb group:

back down; back off; bow out; chicken out; pull out (remove oneself from an obligation)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Antonym:

pull in (of trains; move into (a station))

Derivation:

pullout (to break off a military action with an enemy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

draw; get out; pull; pull out; take out

Context example:

The mugger pulled a knife on his victim

Hypernyms (to "pull out" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Verb group:

pull (take away)

draw out; extract; pull; pull out; pull up; rip out; take out; tear out (remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense)

draw; take out (take liquid out of a container or well)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull out"):

unsheathe (draw from a sheath or scabbard)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

draw out; extract; pull; pull out; pull up; rip out; take out; tear out

Context example:

extract information from the telegram

Hypernyms (to "pull out" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Verb group:

draw; get out; pull; pull out; take out (bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull out"):

squeeze out; wring out (extract (liquid) by squeezing or pressing)

demodulate (extract information from a modulated carrier wave)

thread (remove facial hair by tying a fine string around it and pulling at the string)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Remove oneself from an obligation

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

back down; back off; bow out; chicken out; pull out

Context example:

He bowed out when he heard how much work was involved

Hypernyms (to "pull out" is one way to...):

retire; withdraw (lose interest)

Verb group:

get out; pull out (move out or away)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull out"):

resile (pull out from an agreement, contract, statement, etc.)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

Any time you get sick of it and want to hit the road, just pull out.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He made one desperate attempt to pull out on the trail.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

If you are the one giving the party, you will pull out all the stops to make your guests feel they’ve entered a fairyland of beauty.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

A balloon on the bladder end is inflated (with air or fluid) so that the catheter cannot pull out but is retained in the bladder as an "indwelling" catheter.

(Foley Catheter, NCI Thesaurus)

I had just driven the wedge safely in, and everything was going as I wished; but the cursed wedge was too smooth and suddenly sprang out, and the tree closed so quickly that I could not pull out my beautiful white beard; so now it is tight and I cannot get away, and the silly, sleek, milk-faced things laugh!

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

What I was after wantin' was all the goold, the whole eight thousan'. Thin I cud go back in style. What ud be aisier, thinks I to myself, than to kill all iv yez, report it at Skaguay for an Indian-killin', an' thin pull out for Ireland?

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Do you need to pull out the plumbing to redo things or tear down a wall or put one up?

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Here’s what this says to me—if you pull out all the stops and do a superb job on this assignment, it will elevate your profile and prove you are ready for more sophisticated projects.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)