1
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
a powerful storm pulled down the old fishing shack, which had been immortalized in countless paintings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolishing
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
an ugly billboard that was eventually pulled down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in earning
to receive as return for effort
he's pulling down six figures at that job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pulling down
In Weckback’s absence, junior Jazmyn Bugg hit the glass hard, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
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Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Weiss began pulling down as much as $150,000 per engagement, a point of contention in the pro-Israel space, where advocates give speeches for free.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Many airlines are pulling down their operations at Newark, Bastian said, which reduces some of the congestion at the airport.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Everybody along the defensive line shows up, and the edge players do a nice job of coming in and pulling down running backs from behind before they can be pushed through the pile.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
In that instance, offensive guard Daniel Brunskill missed on a block of Bills defensive lineman Deone Walker that sped up Tagovailoa’s throw to Jaylen Waddle, which linebacker Terrel Bernard stepped in front of, pulling down a turnover in the game’s final three minutes while Miami trailed 28-21.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
However, where iOS 7 applied a flatter, minimalist effect to windows and icons and their edges, iOS 26 adds a (sometimes frosted) glassy look and a mildly fluid movement to actions such as pulling down menus or long-pressing controls.
—ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
An impact player on both sides of the ball from Day 1, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound all-state pick is back for a third varsity letter after reeling in 37 balls for 674 yards on offense and pulling down two more passes for picks on defense.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling down
Verb
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By the 1960s, gas flares and untreated waste spillage were destroying their forests.—
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And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.—
Verb
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The move came after the Office of County Administration released December cost estimates for demolishing the building and renovating it.—
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Fully reopening Leetsdale Drive is contingent on demolishing parts of the charred apartment complex that are still standing, Murphy said.—
Verb
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While many wealthier Americans have enjoyed years of double-digit stock market gains, advancing home prices and rising wages, those earning less have been squeezed by the combination of higher prices, debt and a slowing job market.—
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Current court battles include players seeking to play longer, without lower-college seasons counting against their eligibility, and earning NIL money while doing it.—
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
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The video then shows the man asking if the situation was ruining Kaleel's Christmas.—
Verb
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One video showing people tearing down a billboard image of Maduro dates as far back as July 2024.—
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In fact, Williams took great pains to establish that his primary objective is building the Terps (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten), not tearing down a 21-year-old prospect, the Bears or the sport’s governing body.—
Verb
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Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the first of those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn.—
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Miami is just 7-15 against teams with a winning record this season.—
Verb
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Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
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Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Verb
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Advertisement Geerlings-Simons is hopeful, however, that Indigenous people who live in and rely on forests might serve as an example for how to manage natural resources while still reaping economic benefits.—
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That steady push of Ralph Lauren into the consumer consciousness is reaping other rewards and more exposure.—
Cite this Entry
“Pulling down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20down. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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