pull out — to drive onto a road from another place
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to move your car from the side of the road or another place onto the main road and start driving.
Say it like a native
Textbook The vehicle emerged onto the carriageway without warning.
Native The car pulled out right in front of me.
'Pull out' is the everyday driving verb; 'emerged onto the carriageway' is formal.
Pattern: pull out (onto/from something)
In use
- Always check your mirrors before you pull out onto a busy street.travel
- When I first learned to drive, I was nervous about pulling out into traffic, especially during rush hour.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He pulled out to the main road.
✓ He pulled out onto the main road.
'Pull out ONTO' a road — not 'to'.
Common collocations
pull out + onto/in front— onto the road, in front of me, of the junction, into traffic
Don't confuse it
'Pull out' is the opposite of 'pull in' or 'pull over', which mean to stop at the side of the road.
Related
- pull out (to leave or withdraw from an activity or agreement) — Another meaning of 'pull out' is 'to leave or withdraw from an activity or agreement'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.