pull out
Britishverb
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(tr) to extract
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(intr) to depart
the train pulled out of the station
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military to withdraw or escape or be withdrawn or rescued, as from a difficult situation
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(intr)
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to draw away from the side of the road
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to draw out from behind another vehicle to overtake
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(intr) to abandon a position or situation, esp a dangerous or embarrassing one
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(foll by of) to level out or cause to level out (from a dive)
noun
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an extra leaf of a book that folds out
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a removable section of a magazine, etc
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a flight manoeuvre during which an aircraft levels out after a dive
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a withdrawal from a position or situation, esp a dangerous or embarrassing one
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Leave, depart, as in The bus pulled out at noon . [Mid-1800s]
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Withdraw from an undertaking, as in After the crash many investors pulled out of the market . [Late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The chain has recently come under fire for switching up the ordering system for its in-seat food service, forcing patrons to pull out their phones during a movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The rescue crews had set up bases at the site to work day and night to pull out Gil.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
I’ll occasionally pull out the bag to snack on a few shreds of meat in between meals.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
It’s time to channel our inner Harry Potter, pull out our magic wands, think big and remove the obstacles in our way to create a healthcare system that’s worthy of us.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
I pull out the bar of soap I was given at the training camp, and she points to a corner of the house that has been turned into a small washroom.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.