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Glite Dictionary
to pull the lever

to pull the lever

11 3.6
Move a handle to make a machine start or stop
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : tirar de la palanca
  • The task was to pull the levers in the right sequence to see if astronauts were able to perform this during high G forces and in weightlessness.
  • voters pulled the lever
  • go and pull the lever
  • time to pull the lever

Now you must pull the lever and enter the secret temple.

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Examples

  • That's what we're about to find out as you step into the booth and pull the lever.

    Blog text (6)

  • The projector is a big flashlight with an automatic View Master slide attached; pull the lever and the image changes.

    Blog text (32)

  • And you put money in and you, you pull the the lever and you could win money.

    Julian Dorey

  • And so he would just pull the lever down, and the guys would go night and day.

  • You have to pull the lever.

    Shiva Baby (2021)

  • Now you must pull the lever and enter the secret temple.

    Viva La Dirt League

  • We trap it here first, then you pull the lever.

    Alien³ (1992)

  • So, I'm gonna pull the lever, push the cart, and up we go, okay?

    All About Steve (2009)

  • When the ride started, she had to pull the lever to begin the thrilling drop.

  • To activate the machine, you simply pull the lever and watch it come to life.

Synonyms

to yank
vsto pull the lever
196 4.1

To pull something suddenly and hard

means operating by a deliberate controlled action rather than sudden force
to throw
vsto pull the lever
83 6.1

To move a switch or lever to make a machine work

is specifically about operating devices by moving a control to start them
to tug
vsto pull the lever
56 1.0

To pull something hard, often in a quick way

focuses on intentional control movement to operate a device, not forceful pulling
to lever
vsto pull the lever
3 4.9

To move something by using a long bar to lift it

is about operating a device by pulling a control to cause a process
to crank the handle
vsto pull the lever
1 3.7

Turn a handle by hand to make a machine start or work

involves operating by pulling a control rather than turning a part

How Direct

to pull the lever
11 3.6
to switch
123 1.0

Surface Forms

pull the lever infinitive
pulled the lever past
pulled the lever past participle
pulling the lever present participle
pulls the lever third person singular

Morphology

pull + the + lever

The meaning 'to operate a device by pulling its lever' is directly and compositionally derived from 'pull' (apply force toward oneself) + 'lever' (a bar used to operate mechanisms). This is a literal, cross-linguistically common action construction that a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily understand.

Etymology

The phrasal verb pull the lever gives a clear image: you take hold of the lever and pull it to move a machine or release a part. So it means 'to operate a device' or more broadly 'to take an action that makes something happen'.