Phrase guide

pull out all the stops

verb · 2 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpʊl‿aʊt‿ɔːl ðə ˈstɒps/
  • /ˈpʊl‿aʊt‿ɔl ðə ˈstɑps/ without the cot–caught merger
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈpʊl‿aʊt‿ɑl ðə ˈstɑps/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒps

1

verb

Meaning 1

To hold back or reserve nothing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • They pulled out all the stops for the gala wedding.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: empty the tank, give one's all, go all out, go balls to the wall, go the whole nine yards, go up to eleven, open the floodgates

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

use all resources available

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The organizers pulled out all the stops for the centennial meeting

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ

History

Etymology

An allusion to organ stops, which are pulled out to turn on each set of sounds in a pipe organ. When all stops are pulled out, the organ will play all variations of its sounds at once, therefore being as loud as possible.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 煞費苦心 /煞费苦心 — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Dutch: alle registers opentrekken — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Finnish: poistaa esteet — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Finnish: tehdä kaikkensa — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • French: faire l'impossible — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • French: mettre les petits plats dans les grands — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • German: alle Register ziehen — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Italian: fare l'impossibile — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Polish: dawać z siebie wszystko — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Polish: dać z siebie wszystko — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Polish: nie powstrzymywać się — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Polish: nie powstrzymać się — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Portuguese: fazer o impossível — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Spanish: asestar toda la artillería — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Spanish: estirar la barra — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Spanish: hacer los imposibles — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Spanish: poner toda la artillería — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Spanish: poner toda la carne en el asador — to hold back or reserve nothing
  • Spanish: tirar la barra — to hold back or reserve nothing