# pull someone's plumes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pull-someones-plumes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To humble, to puncture the pride of

## Examples

- His arrogant attitude made me want to pull his plumes.
- She felt too confident after her promotion, so her manager decided to pull her plumes during the meeting.
- The veteran professor enjoyed pulling the plumes of the boastful student who claimed to know more than the experts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.