Pull down means to lower something, to demolish a structure, or informally to earn a sum of money. To use pull down in a sentence, name the thing moved or the amount earned: “She pulled down the blind.” The phrase is separable, so the object may follow down or sit between pull and down.
Pull down at a glance
- Pull down is a separable phrasal verb, so the object can follow or precede down.
- Its forms are pull down, pulls down, pulled down and pulling down.
- It has three main senses: lower, demolish and earn.
- The demolition sense usually takes a building or structure as its object.
- The earn sense is informal and takes an amount of money.
- The commonest error is confusing pull down with pull off, which means succeed.
What does pull down mean?
Pull down is a separable phrasal verb with three distinct senses. The Cambridge entry for pull down records the literal and the demolition meanings. In formal writing, demolish the mill covers the second sense, and the informal money sense is close to earn a wage.
| Sense | Plain meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Lower | Move something down from above | Ravi pulled down the blind before the film started. |
| Demolish | Take a building or structure to the ground | The council pulled down the disused swimming pool. |
| Earn | Receive a sum as pay, informal | The striker pulls down a large weekly wage. |
| Bring low | Reduce a person’s position, literary | Scandal pulled down the proudest family in the county. |
One limitation is worth stating plainly. Pull down covers lowering, demolishing and earning, but it does not mean pull off: pull off means to succeed at something difficult, as in pull off a surprise win.
How do you use pull down in a sentence?
Pull down is separable, so a noun object may follow the particle or come between the verb and the particle. A pronoun, however, must go in the middle, which gives pull it down rather than pull down it. The placement also nudges the meaning: lowering and demolishing allow either position, while the earn sense keeps the phrase together.
| Pattern | Example | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| pull down + object | She pulled down the box from the shelf. | Lowering; the object follows the particle. |
| pull + object + down | She pulled the box down from the shelf. | The same meaning with the object in the middle. |
| pull down + a building | Workers pulled down the mill in a week. | Demolition; a structure is the object. |
| pull down + an amount | He pulls down 60,000 a year. | Earning; the amount follows the particle. |
| pull + it + down | The ladder wobbled, so she pulled it down. | A pronoun must sit between the verb and down. |
Pull down in a sentence: examples across contexts
Pull down moves easily between a kitchen and a construction site, and the context tells a reader which sense is meant. The ten sentences below keep the verb while changing its object and its register.
| Context | Example sentence | Why this works |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Please pull down the blind before the sun reaches the screen. | The literal lowering sense with a household object. |
| Classroom | The teacher pulled down the map so the class could see the coastline. | A wall chart is a classic object of the lowering sense. |
| Construction news | Crews pulled down the unsafe chimney on Tuesday. | The demolition sense with a structure as the object. |
| Urban planning | The city will pull down three empty towers next year. | Reports planned demolition in a formal register. |
| Finance report | The new director pulls down a salary twice the previous one. | Informal earn sense, kept together after the verb. |
| Sports page | The winger pulls down a large wage for a substitute. | The earn sense with an amount as the object. |
| Workplace conversation | He pulled the notice down before anyone saw it. | Separated form with a concrete object. |
| Historical writing | Crowds pulled down the statue at the end of the uprising. | The demolition sense applied to a monument. |
| Science lab | Pull the lever down to release the water. | An instruction, with the object in the middle. |
| Property listing | The owners plan to pull down the garage and build a studio. | A formal demolition plan with two linked actions. |
Pull down vs tear down
Pull down and tear down both describe demolition, but they differ in method, scale and tone. In formal writing, raze a building means the same as pull down and is used mainly for total destruction.
| Attribute | pull down | tear down |
|---|---|---|
| Core action | Remove a structure, often cleanly | Rip a structure apart with force |
| Implied method | Dismantling or knocking down | Violent, fast destruction |
| Scale | Single building or fixture | Anything from a poster to a stadium |
| Other senses | Lowering; earning money | Criticising someone harshly |
| Typical object | Building, blind, wage | Structure, poster, reputation |
| Register | Neutral, slightly informal for money | Neutral to forceful |
Verdict: choose pull down for the plain act of taking a structure down, and tear down when the demolition is rough or the destruction is brutal.
Word forms and grammar of pull down
Pull down is separable and regular, and its senses share one set of forms. The table also marks the placement that learners get wrong.
| Form | Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| pull down | phrasal verb, base | They will pull down the shed in spring. |
| pulls down | present, third person | She pulls down the blind at dusk. |
| pulled down | past and past participle | The crew pulled down the wall by noon. |
| pulling down | present participle | Pulling down the stage took all morning. |
| pull down it | non-standard | Say pull it down. |
| pull-down | noun and adjective | A pull-down menu hides the options until clicked. |
The base verb pull also appears in pull off, which means to succeed at something difficult, and in pull out, which means to withdraw.
Common mistakes with pull down
- Incorrect:
Pull down it before the rain starts.Correct: Pull it down before the rain starts. Rule: A pronoun must sit between the verb and the particle. - Incorrect:
The team pulled down a surprise win.Correct: The team pulled off a surprise win. Rule: Pull down does not mean succeed; pull off does. - Incorrect:
He pulled down his coat and left.Correct: He took off his coat and left. Rule: Pull down means lower, not remove an item of clothing. - Incorrect:
The firm pulled down a new office.Correct: The firm put up a new office. Rule: Pull down removes structures; put up builds them. - Incorrect:
Prices pulled down last year.Correct: Prices fell last year. Rule: Pull down needs a person or crew doing the pulling, so use fall for prices.
Practice using pull down
Work through the six items, then read the answers for the reasoning rather than only the key.
- Fill the gap: The sailors ______ down the flag at sunset.
- Choose the better word: The landlord plans to (pull down / pull off) the empty warehouse.
- Correct the error: Please pull down it.
- Build a sentence: use pull down in the earn sense about a footballer.
- Spot the register: which belongs in a planning report — crews will pull down the chimney, or they are gonna pull down the chimney?
- Rewrite with the object in the middle: She pulled down the curtain.
Answers
- pulled — the flag is lowered, so the object follows the particle.
- pull down — a warehouse is a structure being taken down; pull off means succeed.
- Please pull it down — a pronoun goes between pull and down.
- Model answer: The midfielder pulls down a salary most fans can only imagine.
- Crews will pull down the chimney — a planning report avoids gonna and contractions.
- She pulled the curtain down — a noun object may sit between the verb and the particle.
The bottom line
Use pull down in a sentence for lowering something, taking a structure to the ground, or informally naming a wage. Two details decide most sentences: the phrase is separable, so a noun object may follow down or precede it, and a pronoun must sit in the middle. Watch the sense, because pull off, not pull down, means to succeed.
Frequently asked questions about pull down
Is pull down one word or two?
As a verb, pull down is written as two words, and as a compound noun or adjective it is hyphenated, as in a pull-down menu. The verb means to lower, demolish or earn; the hyphenated form names a thing. Word class decides the spelling.
What does pull down mean about money?
In informal English, pull down means to earn a sum as pay. A sentence such as he pulls down a big wage names the amount as the object. This sense stays fairly fixed, and it appears in sports pages and business chat rather than formal budgets.
Can you pull down a building?
Yes. Pull down is a standard verb for demolishing a structure, and the object is usually a building, a wall or a chimney. It means the same as tear down but suggests a more orderly removal, and it appears in council notices and news reports.
Where does a pronoun go with pull down?
A pronoun must sit between pull and down, so write pull it down rather than pull down it. A full noun can go in either position, as in pull down the blind or pull the blind down. That placement rule is the clearest test of a separable phrasal verb.
Have you ever wondered about the term “pull down” and its usage in the English language? “Pull down” is a versatile phrasal verb that can convey various meanings depending on the context in which it is used.
In general, “pull down” typically refers to physically bringing something downward or lowering it. However, this expression can also be used figuratively to describe actions like demolishing a building, reducing an amount, or even causing someone’s mood to deteriorate.
7 Examples Of Pull Down Used In a Sentence For Kids
- Pull down the curtain to let the sunshine in.
- We can pull down the zipper of your jacket together.
- Pull down the lever to open the doors of the toy car.
- Let’s pull down the paper airplane and make it fly.
- Use both hands to pull down the big red balloon.
- Pull down the handle to ring the bell at the door.
- You can pull down the book from the shelf to read.
14 Sentences with Pull Down Examples
- Pull down the screen to reveal the projector for the presentation.
- Make sure to pull down the volume before entering the library.
- Please remember to pull down the zipper on your backpack.
- It’s important to pull down the blackout shades before going to bed.
- Don’t forget to pull down the safety guard when using the laboratory equipment.
- Pull down the notification bar to check for any new messages.
- Remember to pull down the lever on the machine to start it.
- Before leaving the classroom, please pull down the projector screen.
- Be sure to pull down the lever on the water cooler to refill your bottle.
- Don’t forget to pull down the sun visor in the car while driving.
- It’s important to pull down the blinds in your room for privacy.
- Please remember to pull down the sleeves on your lab coat.
- Make sure to pull down the mask before entering a crowded area.
- Before leaving the lecture hall, remember to pull down your hood.
How To Use Pull Down in Sentences?
To use “Pull Down” in a sentence, you first need to understand its meaning. Pull Down typically refers to the action of bringing something downward or lowering it.
Here is an example sentence of how to correctly use “Pull Down” in a sentence:
“I needed to pull down the blinds to block out the bright sunlight.”
In this sentence, “pull down” is used to describe the action of lowering the blinds. When using “pull down,” it is important to remember that it implies a downward movement.
Another example could be:
“She asked me to pull down the attic stairs so we could access the storage space.”
In this sentence, “pull down” is used to indicate the action of bringing the attic stairs to a lower position for better access.
Remember, the key to effectively using “Pull Down” in a sentence is to visualize the downward movement of the object or action being described. By incorporating this understanding into your sentences, you can clearly convey the action of lowering or bringing something down.
Conclusion
In conclusion, sentences with “pull down” commonly refer to actions of lowering or removing something. For instance, “He tried to pull down the stubborn zipper on his jacket,” illustrates physically bringing something down. Meanwhile, “The city council decided to pull down the old building to make way for a new development,” demonstrates the act of demolishing and removing a structure. These sentences showcase different contexts where “pull down” is used to convey the idea of bringing something to a lower position or removing it entirely. Whether in a literal or figurative sense, the phrase “pull down” is versatile in expressing actions of descending or dismantling.
