pull a face
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
He stuffed the bundle of papers into his pocket and pulled a face, as if the toothpick was causing him some sort of pain.
Virginia pulled a face at her sister - in - law, but she was pensive as she leaned back in her chair and stared through the glass conservatory at the manicured lawns and high, shaven box hedges beyond.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “pull a face” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “pull a face” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.