English Meaning & Definitions
To retreat or withdraw from a position, activity, or commitment.
- “The army was forced to pull back after the enemy launched a surprise counter-offensive.”
- “Investors began to pull back from the market due to rising economic uncertainty.”
To restrain oneself or exercise caution by reducing the intensity or speed of an action.
- “He decided to pull back on his spending habits to save for a new house.”
- “The director asked the actor to pull back a little on the emotional intensity of the scene.”
A withdrawal, retreat, or a temporary decline in price or progress.
- “The stock market experienced a minor pull back before reaching new record highs.”
- “The sudden pull back of the troops signaled the end of the operation.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “pull back”.
Derived from the Middle English 'pullen' (to draw or tug) and 'back' (the rear or reverse direction). The phrasal verb emerged in the 16th century, originally used in military contexts to describe a tactical retreat, later expanding into figurative senses of restraint or withdrawal.
Imagine a soldier being physically tugged by their backpack away from the front lines to safety.
Frequently Asked Questions About “pull back”
1. What is the meaning of “pull back” in English?
In English, pull back (verb) is defined as: “To retreat or withdraw from a position, activity, or commitment.”.
2. How do you use “pull back” in a sentence?
“The army was forced to pull back after the enemy launched a surprise counter-offensive.”
3. What are English synonyms of “pull back”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “pull back”?
Derived from the Middle English 'pullen' (to draw or tug) and 'back' (the rear or reverse direction). The phrasal verb emerged in the 16th century, originally used in military contexts to describe a tactical retreat, later expanding into figurative senses of restraint or withdrawal.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.