pull over

phrasal verb·2 senses·particle over

Meanings

1

Draw a covering across the top

Coveringuncommon

Why “over”? Something goes over another thing. It can hide it, protect it, or cover its surface.

She pulled the blanket over her head.
She drew the blanket up to cover her head.
He pulled the sheet over the sofa.
He drew the sheet across the sofa to cover it.
2

Move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop

Why “over”? Something moves from one person or side to another.

Pull over here.
Move the car to the side and stop here.
The police asked the driver to pull over.
The police asked the driver to move to the side and stop.

Don't confuse with

pull overpull off

Pull over means draw a covering across the top. Pull off means succeed at something difficult.

pull overpull up

Pull over means move a vehicle to the side of the road. Pull up means stop a vehicle or come to a halt.

pull overpull in

Pull over means move a vehicle to the side of the road. Pull in means arrive and stop.

Test yourself

She pulled the blanket over her head. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

Practice “pull over” in Sink In

Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.