pull out — to leave or withdraw from an activity or agreement
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to decide not to take part in something anymore, or to stop being involved in an activity, event, or agreement.
Say it like a native
Textbook The company elected to withdraw from the agreement.
Native The company pulled out of the deal.
'Pull out' is the everyday verb for withdrawing; 'elected to withdraw from' is formal.
Pattern: pull out (of something)
In use
- The company decided to pull out of the deal at the last minute.work
- I was supposed to join the group project, but I had to pull out when my schedule got too busy.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They pulled out the project at the last minute.
✓ They pulled out of the project at the last minute.
'Pull out OF' something — don't drop 'of'.
Common collocations
pull out + of— of the deal, of the race, of the talks, at the last minute
Don't confuse it
'Pull out' is more formal than 'drop out', and is often used for groups or organizations, not just individuals.
Related
- pull out (to drive onto a road from another place) — Another meaning of 'pull out' is 'to drive onto a road from another place'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.