pull someone's leg

idiom/pʊl ˈsʌmwʌnz lɛɡ/ 🔊 listen

Pull someone's leg means to tease or trick someone in a playful, harmless way. You tell them something untrue or exaggerated just for fun, with no intention to deceive seriously.

📖 Meanings

1to tease or fool someone playfully
"Relax, I'm just pulling your leg — there's no exam today." — Relax, I'm just joking — there's no exam today.
2to make someone believe something as a harmless joke
"Are you pulling my leg, or did you really win?" — Are you joking, or did you really win?

🔄 Related phrases

💬 Common patterns

pull your legpull someone's legare you pulling my leg?
❓ How do you say you're teasing someone harmlessly?