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pull up

B1 neutral separable both
In simple words

To stop your car, lift something up, or tell someone they did something wrong.

Literal meaning: Transparent in physical senses — to pull something upward or to stop (as in halting one's movement).

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

Of a vehicle or driver: to stop.

"The black car pulled up outside the hotel and the driver got out."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 neutral

To access or retrieve information on a screen or computer.

"Can you pull up the spreadsheet from last month so we can compare the figures?"

Grammar: separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral

To criticise or reprimand someone for a mistake or bad behaviour.

"The manager pulled her up for arriving late three days in a row."

Grammar: separable
4 A2 informal

To pull a chair close and sit down, or to move something upward physically.

"Pull up a chair — we were just about to start."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Has several distinct meanings. The vehicle sense is very common. The reprimand sense ('pull someone up on something') is common in British English. 'Pull up a chair' is a fixed phrase meaning to sit down nearby.

Commonly used with

chair car record file weeds data socks

Forms

Base
pull up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pulls up
he/she/it
Past simple
pulled up
yesterday
Past participle
pulled up
have + pp
-ing form
pulling up
continuous

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