pull out
2 meanings
move out into the road from a stop or from behind another vehicle
What does "pull out" mean in this sense?
Examples
- A van pulled out in front of me without any warning and I had to brake hard.
- Be careful at that junction — drivers often pull out without checking for cyclists.
- He pulled out of the parking space slowly and joined the flow of traffic.
How to use it
The most basic pattern — no object is needed because this phrasal verb describes movement without acting on anything.
A car pulled out and I had to brake suddenly.
Use 'of' to say where the vehicle is coming from, such as a parking space, side street, or junction.
The van pulled out of the side street without checking for traffic.
Use 'into' or 'onto' to describe where the vehicle moves to after pulling out.
She pulled out onto the main road very carefully.
This pattern is very common when describing dangerous or unexpected driving, especially in complaints or accident reports.
A lorry pulled out in front of us at the last minute.
Adverbs describing how the vehicle moved are very commonly placed after 'out' to add detail about the manner of the movement.
The bus pulled out suddenly, and the cyclist had to swerve.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Pull out' means moving away from the kerb or from behind another vehicle into traffic. 'Pull over' means the opposite — moving to the side of the road and stopping. They describe opposite directions of movement.
When the subject is a vehicle and the context is roads, 'pull out' always means moving into traffic. In a non-driving context, it can mean withdrawing from a deal or agreement — these are two different meanings, so check the context.
In this driving sense, 'pull out' is intransitive — it does not take an object. The vehicle simply moves; nothing is being pulled.
Usage
This is a neutral, everyday expression used equally in speech and writing across British and American English. It is especially common in past tense when describing driving incidents or near-misses.
leave an agreement, activity, or competition before it ends
Sense 2: What does "pull out" mean?
Examples
- Two major sponsors pulled out of the event at the last minute, leaving the organisers in a difficult position.
- The government has threatened to pull out of the trade negotiations if no progress is made by Friday.
- She decided to pull out of the competition after sustaining a knee injury during training.
How to use it
The core structure — the preposition 'of' is obligatory when naming what you are withdrawing from.
The country pulled out of the climate agreement after the election.
When the referent is clear from context, the noun phrase after 'of' can be replaced with a pronoun.
The negotiations were going nowhere, so the company decided to pull out of them.
This construction is very common in news and diplomatic contexts, where withdrawal is used as a bargaining tool.
Several key investors are threatening to pull out of the project unless costs are reduced.
When context makes it obvious what is being withdrawn from, the 'of + noun' part can be dropped.
Talks were going badly and, in the end, both sides pulled out.
'At the last minute' is a very natural adverbial collocate, emphasising that the withdrawal was sudden or disruptive.
One of the headline acts pulled out of the festival at the last minute.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When naming what you are withdrawing from, 'of' is always required. Dropping it produces an ungrammatical sentence.
'Drop out' suggests stopping because of difficulty, injury, or inability, while 'pull out' implies a deliberate, often strategic, decision to withdraw. Use 'pull out' when the decision is a choice, not a defeat.
'Back out' carries a stronger sense of breaking a promise or letting someone down. 'Pull out' is more neutral and is better for formal, strategic, or logistical withdrawals — for example in business or politics.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and suits both formal writing (news, business) and everyday speech. It is especially common in news headlines and reports about business deals, sports, or politics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'pull out' always have a vehicle as the subject?
In this driving sense, yes — the subject is always a vehicle (car, van, bus, lorry, etc.) or the driver acting as a stand-in for the vehicle. If the subject is a person or organisation doing something non-driving, 'pull out' likely has a different meaning, such as withdrawing from an agreement.
What's the difference between 'pull out' and 'pull away'?
'Pull away' focuses on a vehicle accelerating from a standstill, like a bus leaving a bus stop. 'Pull out' focuses on the sideways movement from the kerb or from behind another vehicle into the flow of traffic. The key difference is direction and emphasis — lateral movement versus forward acceleration.
Can I use 'pull out' to describe a cyclist or just cars?
You can use it for any vehicle, including bicycles and motorcycles. For example, 'A cyclist pulled out in front of the taxi' is perfectly natural. The phrase applies to any vehicle moving into the flow of traffic.
Is 'pull out' more common in the past tense?
It is especially common in the past simple when people describe driving incidents, near-misses, or things that happened on the road. However, the present simple is also natural for describing habits or giving warnings, such as 'Drivers often pull out without signalling at that junction.'
Can 'pull out' be used in the passive, like 'the team was pulled out of'?
No — in this sense, 'pull out' is intransitive, which means it has no object and cannot be made passive. The subject is always the one doing the withdrawing, so you can only say 'the team pulled out of the tournament', not 'the tournament was pulled out of'.
Does 'pull out' always mean withdrawing from an agreement or activity?
Not always — there is a common separate sense related to driving, where a vehicle 'pulls out' into traffic. However, that sense has nothing to do with agreements or commitments. When you see 'pull out of' followed by a deal, competition, negotiation, or similar word, it always refers to withdrawal.
What kinds of things can you 'pull out of'?
The most common collocates are formal or organised things you have previously committed to: deals, negotiations, agreements, contracts, competitions, tournaments, partnerships, elections, and summits. It is less natural to use 'pull out of' for very informal, casual plans — in those cases, 'back out of' or 'drop out of' might sound more natural.
Is 'pull out' more common in written English or spoken English?
It is frequent in both. It appears very often in news headlines and reports — especially in business, political, and sports journalism — because it is short and direct. It is also perfectly natural in everyday spoken conversation when talking about withdrawing from plans or commitments.
Can I use 'pull out' in the present continuous, for example 'we are pulling out of the deal'?
It is grammatically possible but slightly awkward, because pulling out is typically viewed as a completed decision rather than an ongoing action. It is more natural to use the present perfect ('we have pulled out'), the past simple ('they pulled out'), or 'going to' for a stated intention ('we are going to pull out of the deal').
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