to pull oneself together

Examples

• All

• You mind giving him just a couple of minutes to sort of pull himself together?

  Rescue Dawn (2007)

• I remember gently sobbing as I pulled myself together to finish the shift.

  Academic text (2010)

• Try and pull yourself together.

  My Favorite Martian (1999)

• I mean, I had to get up and take a walk to pull myself together.

  Blog text (13)

• Maria, I need you to pull yourself together.

  Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)

• With great difficulty, she pulled herself together and they made their way to her car.

  Fiction book (1994)

• Look, pull yourself together.

  Johnny English (2003)

• I was in a daze as I pulled myself together and went to Basil.

  Fiction book (1994)

• With a visible effort, he pulled himself together and went back to gently stroking his daughter's delicate head.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Pull yourself together, Hartman.

  The Front Page (1974)

Synonyms

H

to hold it together

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

61 5.6

Stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation

involves regaining composure after upset rather than only staying calm

G

to get a grip

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

56 5.6

To calm down and control your feelings

focuses on restoring emotional composure rather than actions

K

to keep one's cool

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

30 3.4

Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard

implies a recovery of composure after distress rather than steady calm

K

to keep it together

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

27 5.4

To stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation

focuses more on recovering composure after an earlier upset

G

to gather one's thoughts

vsto pull oneself together

6 4.4

Pause and think clearly before you speak or decide

centres on restoring emotional composure rather than planning thoughts

G

to get one's head together

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

5 7.7

Put your thoughts and feelings in order after a time of confusion

is more about settling emotions than organizing mental ideas

R

to recompose

vsto pull oneself together

1 5.7

Make yourself calm again after being upset

emphasizes recovering composure specifically after emotional upset

C

to come to oneself

vsto pull oneself together

1 7.3

Wake up and become calm after fainting or shock

is specifically about regaining emotional control after feeling upset

G

to get your head together

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

1 7.2

To organize your thoughts and feelings after feeling confused or upset

focuses more narrowly on emotional calm rather than mental order

D

to dry one's eyes

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

4.2

Stop crying and feel calm again

covers broader emotional recovery beyond only stopping tears

R

to remember oneself

vsto pull oneself together

6.8

To calm down and behave politely again after briefly losing control

is about calming emotions rather than restoring formal behaviour

H

to hold one's nerve

vsto pull oneself together

• Informal

5.5

To stay calm and in control during a difficult situation

centres on regaining composure after being upset, not only enduring pressure

Antonyms

F

to fall apart

• Informal

193 4.2

To lose control of your feelings because of strong stress or sadness

B

to break down

111 3.9

To lose control of your feelings and cry or collapse

How Calm

to get a grip

• Informal

56 5.6

to pull oneself together

• Informal

81 5.1

to compose

33 4.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology