Pull means to use force to move something toward you or in the direction you're moving. When you open a refrigerator door, you pull the handle. When you pull a wagon, you're dragging it along behind you. It's the opposite of push: pulling brings things closer, while pushing moves them away.

You can pull with your hands, like when you pull weeds from a garden, or with your whole body, like when multiple people pull on a rope in tug-of-war. Horses pull carriages, trucks pull trailers, and gravity pulls objects toward the ground. The Earth's gravity even pulls on the Moon, keeping it in orbit.

The word also describes attraction or influence. A popular student might pull others into joining their group. A magnet pulls metal objects toward it. When someone has pull, they have influence or connections that help them get things done. If your aunt has pull at the theater, she might be able to get good tickets because people there respect her.

You might pull information from a book during research, pull ahead in a race, or pull through a difficult situation by persevering. When something pulls at your heartstrings, it makes you feel emotional. Each meaning shares that sense of drawing something closer or bringing it along.