herausziehen

Herausziehen is a German verb meaning to pull something out of its position or context, i.e., to extract, withdraw, or remove. It covers both physical actions—removing an object from a container, a socket, or the ground—and figurative uses, such as withdrawing from a contract or from a discussion.

Grammatically, herausziehen is a separable-prefix verb formed from her- and ausziehen. In main clauses the prefix moves to the end: Ich ziehe den Stecker heraus. The simple past is zog heraus, and the past participle is herausgezogen (Ich habe den Stecker herausgezogen). The infinitive is herausziehen. It is commonly used with a direct object, such as Stecker, Zahn, Wurzel, Kabel, oder Ähnliches.

Typical physical usages include: einen Stecker herausziehen (to unplug), eine Zunge aus dem Mund herausziehen (rare, but possible in metaphorical contexts), eine Wurzel aus dem Boden herausziehen (to pull a root out of the ground), oder einen Zahn herausziehen (to extract a tooth). Figurative uses include: sich aus einer Situation herausziehen (to withdraw oneself from a situation) oder sich aus dem Vertrag herausziehen (to withdraw from a contract).

Notes: herausziehen emphasizes the action of pulling something outward, toward the speaker. In contrast, ausziehen can denote removal in other senses, such as undressing. Both forms share related meanings but are used in distinct contexts to avoid ambiguity.