phrasal verbs with PULL; pull off, pull out,pull through,pull up

Meaning of idioms: pull up, pull off, pull through, pull out

Here are the explanations of the meanings of four phrasal verbs with PULL:

pull off

– achieve something difficult

• – after a lot of practice the gymnast pulled off a triple backflip.
• – at first John couldn’t juggle with four balls, but now he has pulled it off.

pull out

– withdraw, not continue in a competition or other activity

• – Martinez had to pull out of the long jump competition because he hurt his foot.
• – The politician pulled out of the TV debate due to a financial scandal.

pull through

– survive, overcome  a problem

• – Dave was in the intensive care unit for two weeks but the doctors say he is starting to pull through.
• – Martha was very depressed after her divorce but now she has pulled through thanks to her friends.

pull up

– slow down and stop

• – After 30 kilometres Salazar was leading the marathon when he pulled up with cramp in his leg. After a massage he managed to continue and finish in 12th position.
• – A limousine has pulled up outside our house. Who could it be?

We have many other lessons and exercises with phrasal verbs and English idioms. One example is Cry which is used in a number  of well-known  English expressions such as crybaby, cry wolf and a far cry    There are more lessons with other verbs in the Phrasal Verb Index   it includes run and  think. If you want, you can  practise by doing these exercises