Meaning & use
pull out
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To move away from a place or position, especially of a vehicle leaving traffic or a road.
Grammar: No object; the subject is the thing that moves, often a car or driver: The truck pulled out slowly.
Patterns
- pull out of something
- pull out into something
- pull out in front of someone
A car suddenly pulled out in front of us and we had to brake hard.
The train pulled out of the station exactly on time.
He pulled out into the fast lane and sped up.
verbtransitive
To remove something from a container, a place, or a position, often with a quick movement.
Grammar: Takes an object, which usually comes after out: She pulled out a pen. A pronoun goes before out: pull it out.
Patterns
- pull out something
- pull something out
- pull something out of something
She pulled out a notebook and started writing.
The dentist had to pull out two of his teeth.
He pulled the plug out of the socket.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To stop being involved in an activity, agreement, or organization, or to make your group stop being involved.
Grammar: Can be used alone (The company pulled out) or with an object (They pulled their troops out).
Patterns
- pull out of something
- pull someone out of something
- pull out of a deal
Several sponsors pulled out of the event after the scandal.
The government announced it would pull its soldiers out by December.
She pulled out of the race because of an injury.
verbtransitive
To succeed in getting information or a reaction from someone who is unwilling to give it.
Grammar: Takes an object, often information or a name: pull a confession out of someone.
Patterns
- pull something out of someone
The interviewer finally pulled a few details out of him.
You won't pull the truth out of her that easily.
Word forms
| third person singular | pulls out |
|---|---|
| past tense | pulled out |
| past participle | pulled out |
| -ing form | pulling out |
Common combinations
- pull out of a deal
- The buyer pulled out of the deal at the last minute.
- pull out all the stops
- They pulled out all the stops for their daughter's wedding.
- pull out of the driveway
- He waved and pulled out of the driveway.
- pull out a gun
- The robber pulled out a gun and demanded the money.
- pull out of the race
- Two candidates pulled out of the race before the vote.
Synonyms and how they differ
- withdraw
- More formal and often used for armies, troops, or official agreements; pull out is more common in everyday speech.
- leave
- A general word for going away; pull out specifically suggests movement out of a line, space, or arrangement.
- extract
- Used for removing something with effort or by a special method, such as a tooth or information; pull out is simpler and more physical.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: pull out or pull over? pull out or pull off?
pull out vs pull over
Pull over means to drive to the side of the road and stop, while pull out means to move away from the side into the road.
pull out vs pull off
Pull off means to succeed in doing something difficult or to leave the road; it does not mean to leave a place or quit an agreement.
Practice
The company decided to ___ of the project because costs were too high.
Choose one answer.
'Pull out of' means to stop being involved in something, which fits quitting a project. 'Pull over' means to stop at the side of the road, and 'pull off' means to succeed at something difficult, so neither fits the idea of quitting.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pull out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.