An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'pull out', with lots of examples in context
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Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them.
In this post, I am looking at the phrasal verb 'pull out' and how it can be used by English speakers. For example, did you know that we can use it to talk about such diverse areas of life as business deals, cars and the army? If you didn't, then do not worry as in the post I will explain all of its various meanings and give you lots of examples in context to help you understand and use them. So, without further ado, let's make a start.
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PULL OUT: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 5 |
Past tense forms | Pulled out / pulled out |
Separable? | Sometimes |
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THE BASICS
Before we start our examination of the phrasal verb 'pull out' and its different meanings, let's first begin by looking at the individual words 'pull' and 'out' and what they mean on their own.
Firstly, we have our base verb, 'to pull', which is primarily used to talk about taking something with your hands and moving it towards you, often with a degree of effort. Moreover, it can also be used in reference to using force to move something in a particular direction towards something or behind something or someone that is in motion.
John pulled the parachute cord but nothing happened.
She pulled the chair towards her.
What happens if you pull this string?
The horse pulled the King's carriage behind it.
Secondly, we have the prepositional particle 'out', which functions as the natural opposite of 'in' and is used to talk about movement towards, or being on, the external part of something.
When used in phrasal verb constructions, 'out' can be used to express concepts such as removal (throw out, take out), emergence (come out), distribution (give out) and revelation (point out).
So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'pull out'....
MEANING 1: To pull something from an interior space
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CEFR Language Level | A2 - Elementary |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To take out, to remove, to extract |
Potential antonyms | To put in, to push in |
Separable? | Yes |
We will begin the meanings with one that is nice and easy for you as this one is just the literal interpretation of the combination of the two words 'pull' and 'out', i.e. 'to pull something from an internal space'.
In simple terms, this first usage of 'pull out' just means to remove an object or thing from inside something and can be used in the same way as the phrasal verb 'take out'. The difference with 'pull out' however is that it tends to be used more when greater force or effort is required to extract the object.
Laura's son excitedly pulled out a handful of candies from the jar.
Simon reached into his bag and pulled out a notebook to jot down the important points of the meeting.
Tracey carefully pulled out the letter from the envelope to avoid tearing it.
Susan opened the cupboard under the stairs and pulled out the heavy box with all of her tools inside.
With this application of 'pull out', we are not only limited to items being removed from physical interior spaces as this usage also extends to anything for which we use the particle 'in'. This can range from elements like water and air (in the sea, in the air etc.) to abstract uses such as emotional moods and states (in a good mood, in a daydream etc).
Sarah's baby accidentally pulled her earring out.
I've tried to pull this nail out of the wall but it won't budge.
The fishermen pulled the net full of fish out of the ocean.
Helen pulled her children out of school and took them on holiday.
This song pulled me out of my bad mood.
MEANING 2: To drive onto a road
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CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To pull onto, to pull across, to turn into / onto |
Separable? | No |
Our second meaning of 'pull out' is one that will be useful for all of the drivers among you as it means 'to drive onto a road' or, alternatively, 'moving onto a different position on a road'.
You may have noticed that the base verb 'to pull' is used a lot in reference to driving as, in addition to 'pull out', phrasal verbs like 'pull up', 'pull over' and 'pull off' can all be used to describe something related to driving a vehicle. The reasons for this are unclear but one potential theory is the idea that horses and animals once pulled carts before the invention of motorised vehicles and this is just a linguistic hangover from that that time that still persists in everyday English.
To clarify, this application can be used in a couple of different ways when referring to driving but they both have the same core meaning, which is 'to move from your current position or lane and into a different lane'. The idea behind this is that when you move along the road in your vehicle, you travel in a lane. This may be a single lane, such as a narrow road in the countryside or it may be a lane on a wide freeway (motorway), with several others to the side of you for other vehicles moving in the same direction. When you move from the position or lane that you are 'in', you simply move 'out' of it.
One of the most common times that you will hear this in use is in reference to when a car turns from a side road, or from the side of a road, into another road and starts driving. This can often be in reference to when this causes an accident or nearly does so.
Alice checked her mirrors carefully before pulling out onto the busy street.
A car suddenly pulled out in front of me, and I had to slam on the brakes.
Always look both ways before pulling out of a parking spot to avoid accidents.
The truck slowly pulled out from the side of the road and joined the flow of traffic.
Moreover, we can use 'pull out' on wider roads when a car moves from the lane that is it travelling in to another lane, typically to overtake another car. Again, this can again be used in reference to dangerous or careless driving practices.
Pete pulled out to overtake the car in front of him without checking his mirrors properly and almost caused a crash.
You should always take extreme care when pulling out on a busy highway in order to overtake another vehicle.
MEANING 3: To withdraw from something
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CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To withdraw, to renege on, to back out |
Separable? | No |
For the third meaning of 'pull out', we need to go back to the idea of removal that we get from the particle 'out' because it means 'to withdraw from something'.
Nouns commonly used with:
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As you can see from the nouns listed in the box above, this application is used specifically to talk about withdrawing from things that we have promised or undertaken to do. This can range from things like competitions and races, in which the participant decides that they are not able to finish it, to business agreements and deals that are cancelled or blocked as one of the people involved decides that they no longer wish to participate or be involved in it.
In other words, it is used when someone withdraws from an activity or agreement that they had previously agreed to take on.
The company decided to pull out of the deal after discovering financial irregularities.
Several investors pulled out of the project due to concerns about its profitability.
The tennis player had to pull out of the tournament because of an injury.
Amelia pulled out of the race at the last minute, citing personal reasons.
The band announced they would pull out of the festival due to scheduling conflicts.
Out of all of the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'pull out', I would say that this is the one that is in most common use, especially as it it covers a wide range of different aspects of life in the modern world. We are not quite done with it yet though, as the next meaning is a continuation of this one....
MEANING 4: To be removed from an area
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CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To withdraw, to leave, to retreat, to evacuate |
Separable? | Yes |
Sticking with the idea of withdrawal that we covered in the previous section, this fourth meaning of 'pull out' means 'to be removed from an area'.
The main difference between this and the previous one is that with this one we have a direct object and the phrasal verb is therefore separable. In other words, there is a person who makes a decision to withdraw the other person from the area rather than the unwilling person removing themselves.
The actual usage of this application of 'pull out' is mainly used in geographical contexts and tends to be used in reference to military personnel. If an army general, senior ranking officer or government official orders his or her troops to retreat from an area, then they are likely to ask them to pull out of it and move somewhere else.
The government has announced plans to pull troops out of the conflict zone by the end of the year.
The commander decided to pull out his forces to avoid further casualties.
The president faced criticism for the decision to pull soldiers out before the situation had stabilised.
On a grammatical note, as I've already stated, this is a separable usage, however it can be used both separably and inseparably without changing the meaning. The prepositions 'of' and 'from' are typically used after 'pull out' to specify the area from which the troops are being pulled out.
MEANING 5: To depart
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CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To pull off, to leave, to depart |
Separable? | No |
For our fifth and final usage of 'pull out', we are returning to the theme of vehicles again, but this time it is specifically trains that we are thinking about as 'pull out' in this sense means to depart from a train station.
This usage is again derived from the idea of pulling that we had with cars earlier in the post, and is coupled with the idea that a train stops 'in' a station, so when it starts to move and depart from the station, it is moving 'out' of it. Nice and simple!
The train began to pull out of the station as passengers waved goodbye to their loved ones.
We hurried to the platform just in time to see the train pull out and disappear into the distance.
The conductor signalled, and the locomotive slowly pulled out on its journey to the next city.
The commuters watched the train pull out as they waited for the next one to arrive.
The old steam engine let out a loud whistle before pulling out of the station.
IDIOM ALERT!
Before finishing the post, I want to make you aware of a commonly used idiomatic expression featuring the phrasal verb 'pull out'....
To pull out all the stops....
If you pull out all the stops it means that you do everything that you can in order to make something happen or be a success. This charming little expression originates from church organs (the large piano-type instruments in churches) as these are fitted with 'stops' which are used to make the music louder or quieter. If you pull out all of the stops on an organ, it creates the maximum, loudest sound possible.
To give you an example of this idiom, if you decide to throw a party and you pull out all the stops, it means that you will do everything that you can (and possibly spend a lot of money) to make it the best party ever.
Alternatively, if you are planning a work presentation and you want to to make it the best presentation that your manager has ever seen, you may decide to pull out all the stops and add videos, lights and dancing....it doesn't matter what as long as it is the best!
The movie producers pulled out all the stops, with breathtaking special effects, a star-studded cast, and a gripping storyline.
To get into her dream university, Emma pulled out all the stops: passing her exams, volunteering, and doing well in her interview.
For their parents' 50th wedding anniversary, the family pulled out all the stops: a live band, a gourmet dinner, and a stunning venue by the beach.
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Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'pull out'. Write it in the comments section below if you can, or alternatively any comments, suggestions or feedback that you may have....don't be shy!!!
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THE END
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