1 B1 neutral
Of a vehicle or its driver: to arrive at or stop at a place.
"The bus pulled in right on time, and everyone rushed to get on."
inseparable
pull in
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To arrive at a place (of a vehicle), to attract or earn something, or to bring someone in for questioning.
In plain English
To arrive somewhere, earn money, or attract people.
What does "pull in" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To earn a particular amount of money.
"She pulls in over six figures a year working as a consultant."
separable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To attract a large number of people or a significant amount of attention.
"The free concert pulled in thousands of visitors from across the country."
separable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
(British English, informal) Of police: to bring someone in for questioning or arrest.
"The detectives pulled him in for questioning after his alibi fell apart."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically pull something inward — naturally extended to vehicles pulling themselves into a space.
Actually means
To arrive somewhere, earn money, or attract people.
Usage tip
Has distinct literal (vehicle) and figurative (earning, attracting) uses. 'Pull in' for police questioning is more common in British English. In earnings contexts, it is informal.
Words that pair with "pull in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowds station money earnings suspect driveway profits
How to conjugate "pull in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
pull in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pulls in
he/she/it
Past simple
pulled in
yesterday
Past participle
pulled in
have + pp
-ing form
pulling in
continuous
Hear "pull in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "pull in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.