PULL BACK
Dictionary entry overview: What does pull back mean?
• PULL BACK (verb)
The verb PULL BACK has 5 senses:
1. pull back or move away or backward
2. use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
3. move to a rearward position; pull towards the back
4. pull back the sling of (a bow)
5. make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
Familiarity information: PULL BACK used as a verb is common.
Dictionary entry details
• PULL BACK (verb)
Meaning:
Pull back or move away or backward
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Synonyms:
retreat; recede; pull back; pull away; move back; draw back; withdraw; retire
Context examples:
The enemy withdrew / The limo pulled away from the curb
Hypernyms (to "pull back" is one way to...):
go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pull back"):
fall back; recede; retire (move back and away from)
back down; back off; back up (move backwards from a certain position)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
pull back; draw back; retract
Hypernyms (to "pull back" is one way to...):
pull (apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Move to a rearward position; pull towards the back
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Context example:
Pull back your arms!
Hypernyms (to "pull back" is one way to...):
draw; force; pull (cause to move by pulling)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Pull back the sling of (a bow)
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
pull back; draw
Context example:
The archers were drawing their bows
Hypernyms (to "pull back" is one way to...):
stretch (pull in opposite directions)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
back away; crawfish; crawfish out; pull in one's horns; back out; retreat; pull back; withdraw
Context 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
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
