pull over
PUL OH-vur
/pʊl ˈəʊvə/
To drive a vehicle to the side of the road and stop.
Usually implies a temporary stop, often due to an emergency, a police signal, or to check a map.
The story behind the word. In the era of horse-drawn carriages, the driver would physically pull the reins to one side to move the horses 'over' to the edge of the path.
Word relationships
- stop: Stop is general; pull over specifies the location (side of the road).
- pull out: Pull out means to move from the side of the road back into traffic.
Commonly confused with
- pull up: Pull up means to stop at a specific destination, like a house or a traffic light.
Word family
- pullover (noun): A sweater that you put on by pulling it over your head (unrelated to driving).
Collocations
- pull over to the curb
- pull over for an ambulance
- be pulled over by police
Example sentences
- "The officer signaled for the driver to pull over because a taillight was out." A police encounter.
- "The view was so beautiful that we had to pull over and take some photos." A scenic moment on a road trip.
Memory hook
You 'pull' the steering wheel to move the car 'over' the line. Pull over to the shoulder.
When not to use
Don't use this for parking in a designated parking lot; it specifically means stopping at the roadside.
Fun facts
- In some dialects, 'pull over' can also be used as a noun to describe the act of being stopped by police: 'I got a pull-over yesterday.'
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