pull apart

phrasal verb

pulled apart; pulling apart; pulls apart

: to be separated into parts or pieces by pulling

The rolls pull apart easily.

: to separate or break (something) into parts or pieces

She pulled the rolls apart with her hands.

—sometimes used figuratively

His gambling problem is pulling the family apart.

: to separate (people or animals) in order to stop a fight

Customers stepped in and pulled the two men apart.

Examples of pull apart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

As American Primeval’s third episode opens, some of the series’ plot strands keep getting pulled apart while others start to wind around each other. —

Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025 During rapid weight gain, the skin is stretched and starts to pull apart. —

Susan Bard, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2024 Crews stretched multiple hose lines and had to pull apart walls to fight the flames, according to a spokesperson for the FDNY. —

T. Michelle Murphy, ABC News, 2 Dec. 2024 Tissue paper is fragile and can rip if it's not pulled apart gently. —

Katherine Lee, Parents, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for pull apart