pull oneself up by the bootstraps
Succeed by one's own efforts, as in She was homeless for nearly two years, but she managed to pull herself up by the bootstraps. This expression alludes to pulling on high boots by means of the straps or loops attached to them at the top. [Early 1900s]
Words nearby pull oneself up by the bootstraps
pull off,
pull on,
pull one's punches,
pull one's weight,
pull oneself together,
pull oneself up by the bootstraps,
pull out,
pull out all the stops,
pull out of a hat,
pull over,
pull rank