pull off
To manage to do something hard, or to take something off by pulling it.
Meanings
To succeed in doing something difficult, surprising, or impressive.
"Nobody thought they could pull off the merger in just three months, but they did."
"How did you pull that off?"
— Ocean's Eleven (film, 2001)
To remove something by pulling, especially clothing or an attached object.
"He pulled off his gloves and tossed them on the bench."
Of a vehicle or driver: to move to the side of or away from a road.
"The driver pulled off the motorway to check the map."
The figurative sense (achieve something difficult) is very common in informal speech and journalism. The literal sense (remove by pulling) is straightforward. A vehicle 'pulling off' a road is a third, neutral use.
Commonly used with
Forms
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