pullback

[ pool-bak ]

/ ˈpʊlˌbæk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pullback ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of pulling back, especially a retreat or a strategic withdrawal of troops; pullout.

that which pulls something back or impedes its forward movement.

Machinery. a device for pulling a moving part to its original position.

Origin of pullback

First recorded in 1585–95; noun use of verb phrase pull back

Words nearby pullback

pull, pull a boner, pull about, pull a fast one, pull away, pullback, pull date, pulldown, pulled, pullet, pulley

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pullback

Even a modest hit from sanctions or pullback by foreign investors will only add to that downward spiral.
Putin’s Patriotism is Phony, His Desperation is Real|Andrew Nagorski|April 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Missile strikes from warplanes and helicopter gunships and tank shelling made the pullback necessary, he says.
Battered Syrian Rebels Cede Aleppo’s Salaheddin District to Assad Military|Jamie Dettmer|August 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Others foresaw bloodshed between supporters of rival political parties, and cast a wary eye to a pullback of police.
Egypt Votes In First Post-Mubarak Elections|Mike Giglio|November 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for pullback

pull back

verb (adverb)

to return or be returned to a rearward position by pullingthe army pulled back

noun pullback

the act of pulling back

a device for restraining the motion of a mechanism, etc, or for returning it to its original position

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with pullback