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Glite Dictionary
to pull in to the side of the road

to pull in to the side of the road

3.0
Drive a car to the side of the road and stop
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : detenerse al lado de la carretera
  • When it started raining heavily, we pulled in to the side of the road and waited for the storm to pass.

Examples

  • The driver pulled in to the side of the road to let the ambulance pass.

  • She noticed a strange noise and decided to pull in to the side of the road to check her tyres.

  • Please pull in to the side of the road!

  • He needs to pull in to the side of the road to check the map.

  • The driver pulled in to the side of the road to let the ambulance pass.

  • When it started raining heavily, we pulled in to the side of the road and waited for the storm to pass.

  • He needs to pull in to the side of the road to check the map.

Synonyms

to pull
vsto pull in to the side of the road
532 3.2

To move a vehicle or animal to the side to stop it

involves purposeful steering toward the road edge to stop, not accidental veering
to pull over
vsto pull in to the side of the road
294 2.8

To move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop

is steering toward the edge and stopping near it
to pull up
vsto pull in to the side of the road
163 2.8

To stop or slow down a vehicle at a place

requires steering to road edge and coming fully to a stop
to haul up
vsto pull in to the side of the road
  • UK
1 6.0

Stop a car or taxi at the side of a road

focuses on steering toward the road edge rather than stopping anywhere

Antonyms

to drive away
71 3.4

To force a person, animal, or feeling to go away

How Sharp

to veer
63 4.2
turnaround
8 4.4
to turn in
7 3.1
to pull in to the side of the road
  • UK
3.0

Surface Forms

pull in to the side of the road infinitive
pulled in to the side of the road past
pulled in to the side of the road past participle
pulling in to the side of the road present participle
pulls in to the side of the road third person singular

Morphology

pull + in + to + the + side + of + the + road

The meaning 'to steer a vehicle towards and stop near the edge of the road' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'pull' (move), 'in/into' (toward/interior), and 'side of the road' (road edge). This is a literal motion + locative construction common in English (and mirrored in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would reliably infer the meaning.

Etymology

Pull in to the side of the road comes from the simple picture of a driver pulling in the car to the side and stopping to get out of traffic. So it means 'to steer a vehicle towards and stop near the edge of the road'.