See pull punches in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for pull punches meaning in English (5.8kB)
{
"etymology_text": "From boxing, 1920s.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "pulls punches",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "pulling punches",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "pulled punches",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "pulled punches",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "*"
},
"expansion": "pull punches (third-person singular simple present pulls punches, present participle pulling punches, simple past and past participle pulled punches)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Boxing",
"orig": "en:Boxing",
"parents": [
"Sports",
"Human activity",
"Human behaviour",
"Human",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "62 38",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "81 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "75 25",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "71 29",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2017, Mark D Bishop, Zen Odyssey, An Okinawan Karate & Martial Arts Journey, Lulu.com, page 228",
"text": "Traditionally on Okinawa (if 'traditionally' is the right word to use), protectors had been worn during sparring practise because the trainees believed that, to be effective, one should not train to pull punches.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To avoid using a high level of force when punching."
],
"id": "en-pull_punches-en-verb-vF7Q-vwD",
"links": [
[
"boxing",
"boxing#Noun"
],
[
"punch",
"punch"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(originally boxing) To avoid using a high level of force when punching."
],
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "57 43",
"word": "no holds barred"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "57 43",
"word": "pull one's punches"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "75 25",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"word": "olla lyömättä kovaa"
},
{
"_dis1": "75 25",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"word": "retenir ses coups"
},
{
"_dis1": "75 25",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"word": "kesztyűs kézzel bánik"
},
{
"_dis1": "75 25",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "łagodzić uderzenie"
},
{
"_dis1": "75 25",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "złagodzić uderzenie"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English negative polarity items",
"parents": [
"Negative polarity items",
"Terms by semantic function"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I did not pull any punches when I told them my thoughts.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Nick Morgan, Give Your Speech, Change the World: How To Move Your Audience to Action, Harvard Business Review Press, page 78",
"text": "The key here is not to pull punches. Tell it to 'em straight. Don't point fingers. But don't avoid painful truths.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Kenneth J. Heineman, Catholic New Deal: Religion and Reform in Depression Pittsburgh, Penn State Press, page 75",
"text": "Father Charles Owen Rice was not one to pull punches, particularly when it came to confronting what he viewed as hypocritical behavior among Catholics.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2017 February 1, Neil Bartlett, “The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis review – a childhood in hell”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
"text": "This arresting autobiographical novel pulls no punches; rather, it lands them on the reader as frequently as fists descend on its subject.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2021 February 10, Thomas L. Friedman, “Cyberspace Plus Trump Almost Killed Our Democracy. Can Europe Save Us?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
"text": "A few weeks ago, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, released an open letter that pulled no punches.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2024 April 3, Philip Haigh, “Discord over Avanti West Coast is part of a wider problem”, in RAIL, number 1006, page 52",
"text": "Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham pulled no punches in March 20's Transport for the North board meeting in Leeds. He wants rid of Avanti West Coast. And he may yet get his way, although ministers in London are holding the line at the moment.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To act with reserve; especially, to word something delicately to avoid giving offense or inciting anger."
],
"id": "en-pull_punches-en-verb-71Hk1wsT",
"links": [
[
"act",
"act"
],
[
"reserve",
"reserve"
],
[
"word",
"word"
],
[
"delicately",
"delicately"
],
[
"offense",
"offense"
],
[
"anger",
"anger"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(figuratively, chiefly in the negative) To act with reserve; especially, to word something delicately to avoid giving offense or inciting anger."
],
"raw_tags": [
"in the negative"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "hold back"
}
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "En-au-pull punches.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/11/En-au-pull_punches.ogg/En-au-pull_punches.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/En-au-pull_punches.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "pull punches"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English idioms",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English predicates",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English verbs"
],
"etymology_text": "From boxing, 1920s.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "pulls punches",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "pulling punches",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "pulled punches",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "pulled punches",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "*"
},
"expansion": "pull punches (third-person singular simple present pulls punches, present participle pulling punches, simple past and past participle pulled punches)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"word": "no holds barred"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"en:Boxing"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2017, Mark D Bishop, Zen Odyssey, An Okinawan Karate & Martial Arts Journey, Lulu.com, page 228",
"text": "Traditionally on Okinawa (if 'traditionally' is the right word to use), protectors had been worn during sparring practise because the trainees believed that, to be effective, one should not train to pull punches.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To avoid using a high level of force when punching."
],
"links": [
[
"boxing",
"boxing#Noun"
],
[
"punch",
"punch"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(originally boxing) To avoid using a high level of force when punching."
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English negative polarity items",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I did not pull any punches when I told them my thoughts.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Nick Morgan, Give Your Speech, Change the World: How To Move Your Audience to Action, Harvard Business Review Press, page 78",
"text": "The key here is not to pull punches. Tell it to 'em straight. Don't point fingers. But don't avoid painful truths.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Kenneth J. Heineman, Catholic New Deal: Religion and Reform in Depression Pittsburgh, Penn State Press, page 75",
"text": "Father Charles Owen Rice was not one to pull punches, particularly when it came to confronting what he viewed as hypocritical behavior among Catholics.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2017 February 1, Neil Bartlett, “The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis review – a childhood in hell”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
"text": "This arresting autobiographical novel pulls no punches; rather, it lands them on the reader as frequently as fists descend on its subject.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2021 February 10, Thomas L. Friedman, “Cyberspace Plus Trump Almost Killed Our Democracy. Can Europe Save Us?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
"text": "A few weeks ago, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, released an open letter that pulled no punches.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2024 April 3, Philip Haigh, “Discord over Avanti West Coast is part of a wider problem”, in RAIL, number 1006, page 52",
"text": "Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham pulled no punches in March 20's Transport for the North board meeting in Leeds. He wants rid of Avanti West Coast. And he may yet get his way, although ministers in London are holding the line at the moment.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To act with reserve; especially, to word something delicately to avoid giving offense or inciting anger."
],
"links": [
[
"act",
"act"
],
[
"reserve",
"reserve"
],
[
"word",
"word"
],
[
"delicately",
"delicately"
],
[
"offense",
"offense"
],
[
"anger",
"anger"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(figuratively, chiefly in the negative) To act with reserve; especially, to word something delicately to avoid giving offense or inciting anger."
],
"raw_tags": [
"in the negative"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "hold back"
}
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "En-au-pull punches.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/11/En-au-pull_punches.ogg/En-au-pull_punches.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/En-au-pull_punches.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "pull one's punches"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"word": "olla lyömättä kovaa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"word": "retenir ses coups"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"word": "kesztyűs kézzel bánik"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "łagodzić uderzenie"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to avoid using all one's strength when punching",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "złagodzić uderzenie"
}
],
"word": "pull punches"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.