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Pulling Up the Ladder

A social phenomenon in which individuals or groups who have successfully advanced in status, wealth, or opportunity then act to block others from accessing the same path upward.

Key Features:

Motivated by fear of competition, scarcity mindset, or desire to protect hard-won status.

Can manifest in politics (e.g., immigrants opposing immigration), economics (e.g., professionals gatekeeping their fields), or class mobility (e.g., elites dismantling welfare or education programs they once benefited from).

Example (fictional): Raymond Leon in the movie "In Time" rises out of poverty to become a Timekeeper but enforces the very system that traps others where he once was.
Example (real): An immigrant who gained citizenship but campaigns to restrict immigration for others.
1. After becoming wealthy through public education, the politician now opposes funding for schools, effectively pulling up the ladder behind him.

2. Some immigrants, once they gain citizenship, support restrictive immigration policies — a classic case of pulling up the ladder.
by Social Climber September 16, 2025
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Straight Pull Up

Usually used by indo canadian gangsters to jump someone. The straightest of all the pull ups. Have to say yooooooo before.
Usually used by indo canadian gangsters to jump someone.

Yooooo man buddies straight pull up on him yooo.

Yo miuru and his cousins straight pulled up on me yoooo straight jumped me yoooo.

Yo man callin up my fawkinn buddies yooo straight pull up.
by Existential Crisis June 6, 2018
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Pull up with a toilet

To pull up with a toilet means to fight someone one on one, to say “Pull up with a plunger” means to jump someone or fight in a group
Man, ima pull up with a toilet on his ass
by AsuraPatel March 21, 2021
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Huggies Pull-Ups

a brand of disposable training pants made under the Huggies brand of baby products.
n March 2005, the original Huggies Pull-Ups were renamed Learning Designs after the small pictures that fade when they become wet.
by SPrice1980 May 8, 2023
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Pull Ups Kid

Probably that one kid in your Gym class that you didn’t even know existed but then he randomly joins your group and now you and your friends are stuck with him. Then he starts talking about how many pull ups he can do and won’t stop doing them and keeps showing off only to do 3 pull ups.
Woah Pull Ups Kid...Wow that’s a lot of pull ups wow I care so much
by CheeseWithSauce January 7, 2021
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Pulling up a Diego

"when you do an Irish goodbye but you go get laid"

Whenever or wherever you abruptly leave without telling anyone and go get LAID
Whenever or wherever you abruptly leave a party without telling anyone and go get LAID
Whenever or wherever you abruptly leave any circumstance without telling anyone and go sit of that FAT Tool
I'm puling up a Diego rn.
pulling up a Diego was something I never knew I would do but it happened.

pulling up a Diego was the last thing on my mind but I seriously needed it.
Pulling up a Diego was crazy , I seriously don't regret it at all.
I was at this party last night and pulled up a Diego.
I saw my ex last night, so pulled up a Diego.
I was at the rave rolling balls and " he " messaged me , I pulled a Diego " just like that".
" just like that" I was bored at home and I pulled up a Diego for no reason.
I had to pull up a Diego when I was with some friends, drinking and smoking some good pot. My friend hand me bag, I felt extremely horny and I texted my favorite person.
He won't stop texting me and I had pulled up a Diego.

while I was dancing at the club and he texted randomly texted saying "he wanted it so badly" had to pulled up a Diego.
by lukenasty69 May 5, 2022
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Pull Up Them Grades

A deragatory roast that usually implies you have low grades.and you need to higher them typically used by very studious people aswell
Pull up them grades let’s go yes sirrr.
by Poor man Antoine April 29, 2019
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