nachzuziehen

Nachzuziehen is a German verb with several related meanings. In a technical sense it means to tighten or re-tighten something by pulling, such as a screw, bolt, or nut, to remove play or looseness. In a figurative sense it means to follow someone’s lead or to imitate an example or trend: der Rest zieht dem Vorbild nach (the rest follow the example).

Etymology and grammar: The verb combines the prefix nach- with ziehen (to pull). It is a separable verb: er zieht nach, sie zieht nach. The past participle is nachgezogen, and the perfect form is hat nachgezogen. In dependent clauses or after impersonal constructions one often uses the infinitive with zu: Es ist nötig, die Schrauben nachzuziehen.

Usage notes: Common collocations include eine Schraube nachziehen (to tighten a screw) and dem Beispiel/der Mode nachziehen (to follow the example or trend). In maintenance and engineering contexts, nachziehen denotes a concrete action to restore proper tension or alignment. In social or organizational contexts, it conveys conformity or alignment with standards, rules, or practices. The nuance differs: physical use is concrete; figurative use implies adherence or imitation.

Synonyms and related terms: nachziehen can be related to nachahmen (to imitate) and mitziehen (to go along, to follow along), though each carries distinct nuances. The term should be chosen to reflect whether the context is mechanical tightening or social conformity.