Phrase guide

pull back

verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pull, back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To retreat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To pass (the ball) into a position further from the attacking goal line.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • December 1 2010, Paul Fletcher, BBC News, Ipswich 1-0 West Brom Jason Scotland should have scored after Tamas advanced purposefully down the right before pulling the ball back into the path of his team-mate, who shot straight at Myhill.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To score when the team is losing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • Feb 19 2007, Al-Jazeera, Stylish Sevilla pull level with faltering Barcelona Ronaldinho pulled back a goal for Barca in injury time with a classy free-kick, but it was clearly too little too late to prevent their third Liga defeat.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him
  • He backed out of his earlier promise
  • The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: retreat, back out, back away, crawfish, crawfish out, pull in one's horns, withdraw

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

stretch back a bowstring (on an archer's bow)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The archers were drawing their bows

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: draw

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stretch

7

verb

Meaning 7

move to a rearward position; pull towards the back

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Pull back your arms!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pull, draw, force

8

verb

Meaning 8

use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: retract, draw back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pull

9

verb

Meaning 9

pull back or move away or backward

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The enemy withdrew
  • The limo pulled away from the curb

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: withdraw, retreat, pull away, draw back, recede, retire, move back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: travel, go, move, locomote

Narrower terms: fall back, retrograde, retreat, back up, back off, back down

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.