pulling away

verb

present participle of pull away
as in detaching

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulling away
  1. detaching
  2. disengaging
  3. flying
  4. disentangling
  5. fleeing
  6. backing down
  7. shrinking
  8. flinching
Verb
  • Orion and the Artemis III crew will stay docked with Starship for about a day before detaching to begin preparations for their return to Earth.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 20 July 2026
  • Clean the Mouthpiece, Straw, and Lid After detaching the straw, use a straw cleaning brush or a pipe cleaner to thoroughly scrub it with a mild detergent.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026
Definition of detaching
Verb
  • In reality, Loesby contends, many struggles reflect predictable structural mismatches — a lawyer who prefers depth and analysis struggling in a role that rewards constant responsiveness, or one who thrives on collaboration disengaging in isolation.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Tolerating Chinese regional hegemony would throw East Asian allies under the bus, and disengaging from the Middle East would leave Israel to fend for itself.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disengaging
Verb
  • But their life as flying animals is short, lasting a few weeks or months.
    — Olga R. Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Bringing your own electrolytes Hydration is always a problem when flying.
    — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Cutting Iran off completely from the UAE could deal a serious blow to the Islamic Republic’s economy — but experts say disentangling the pair’s commercial ties could prove difficult.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • New characters and backstory details are dropped in before existing loose ends are tied up, resulting in unclear motivations and convoluted layers of subplot that, ultimately, do not prove relevant enough to have been worth disentangling.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of disentangling
Verb
  • Surveillance video from the Cedar Glenn complex showed Brunson, Newman, and another unnamed co-defendant jumping a fence, approaching a Chevrolet Suburban, and fleeing after being confronted by a witness.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Horrifying surveillance video circulating online shows people fleeing before the mudslide hits and a deluge crashes down on them.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter isn’t backing down after the WNBA team ejected former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom from Sunday’s game against the Indiana Fever.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • With neither side backing down, Cancian expects the conflict will drag on well past the midterm elections in November.
    — Steve Walsh, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of backing down
Verb
  • If internal fluid pressure drops during aggressive extraction, the surrounding earth squeezes the cavern inward, permanently shrinking total storage capacity and crushing steel well casings.
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That Toll Brothers vote encapsulated south Folsom’s shrinking oak woodland.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrinking
Verb
  • The Value Of Clarity​ Clarity is the ability to answer three questions without flinching.
    — Andrew Kokes, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Amy Adams’ Anna Bowden — who has a complicated history with Max as his former lawyer — peeks through the curtain to spy on him, flinching as Max insists on snapping his own broken finger into place.
    — Benjamin VanHoose, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of flinching
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

pulling a face
pulling away
pulling down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pulling away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulling%20away. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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