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pull

pull

20 1.0
A handle on a drawer or door used to open it
  • noun
  • /pʊl/
translation icon : tirador
  • But just as he had his hand on the door pull, he turned.

We decided on the Chef Boyardee pull top cans.

Examples

  • "Indeed it was; the five drawers with bronze pulls were triangular, ending in a point at center.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • But then our hero realized that these little knobs were the perfect size for standard cabinet drawer pulls.

  • One: You see that red pull tab?

  • Julie helps Nancy reach a pull cord in the ceiling.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • It has a pull-down ladder.

  • The Bosnian reached up and gripped the pull ring on the fuse lighter.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Closing the door, I tugged at the pull tab of the padded envelope and shook out a rectangular box.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • To open the drawer, simply grasp the pull and tug gently.

  • The old cabinet featured ornate brass pulls that added charm to the kitchen.

  • Make sure to grip the pull firmly when trying to open the stuck door.

Synonyms

handle
vspull
211 1.0

The part of an object you hold to carry or use it

is a specific part attached to open things by a straight outward motion rather than just to hold
knob
vspull
66 1.4

A rounded handle used to open or adjust things like doors and radios

is attached for opening by a straight outward motion rather than turning
doorknob
vspull
  • US
60 1.2

A round handle that you turn to open or close a door

is attached for opening by a straight outward motion rather than by turning
doorhandle
vspull
1.0

A part on a door, like a knob or lever, that you hold and move to open it

is attached to objects for opening by a straight outward motion instead of releasing a catch

Idioms

20 3.9

To do your fair share of work in a group

17 5.2

Do everything possible to make something succeed

12 8.3

To trick someone in a clever way so they do not notice

To trick someone by hiding the truth

Make your situation better by working hard without help

to pull teeth
  • Informal
1 7.5

To have a lot of trouble getting someone to give an answer or help

Find a surprising way to solve a problem at the last moment

to pull a face
  • Informal
1 5.5

Make a face to show dislike or discomfort

1 9.9

To make a big embarrassing mistake that others notice

To become less confident and not try as hard after problems

Be quieter and more careful about what you say

1 4.1

To tell someone something that is not true to make them laugh

Save someone from a difficult situation at the last moment

1 9.9

Trying to meet someone to start a romantic or sexual relationship

9.9

To make a silly mistake that makes people laugh at you

Cheer for a team or person who is expected to lose

Make people feel deep sadness or pity

To start working hard after not doing much

Make up ideas quickly without preparing or checking facts

To promise help again and again and then take it away at the last moment

To suddenly stop helping someone, leaving them in a difficult situation

8.4

To mention being a woman or man to avoid blame and get sympathy

To succeed and then stop others from getting the same chances

9.1

To tell a story in a way that makes what happened sound bigger or not true

To tease someone by saying something that is not true as a joke

To start trying much harder after being lazy

to pull your pud
  • Offensive
9.9

To waste time instead of working

Compounds

7 3.9

An exercise where you hang from a bar and pull your chin above it

3 3.8

A paved area beside a main road where cars can stop briefly

pull quote
  • Literature
1 4.1

A short quotation from an article shown separately to draw attention

The pull that makes things fall toward Earth or another large body

1 4.7

A chain with a handle that you use to turn on a light or flush a toilet

pull-through
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A cloth on a cord with a weight used to clean a gun barrel

cost-pull inflation
  • Specialized
7.0

A rise in general prices caused by higher production costs like wages and raw materials

demand-pull inflation
  • Specialized
7.7

A rise in prices when people want to buy more things than before

leg-pull
  • Archaic
7.1

A joke that tries to make someone believe a false story for fun

pull-in
  • UK
6.5

A roadside place like a cafe where drivers stop to rest and eat

pull-up
  • UK
9.5

A small cafe by the road where truck drivers stop to eat and rest

How Easy

handle
211 1.0
pull
20 1.0
knob
66 1.4

Surface Forms

pull singular
pulls plural

Etymology

Pull was also used for the thing you use to draw, so a drawer pull is the handle you take hold of to open something, just like the verb pull means to draw it toward you.