Pull back, being a much-travelled character (8)
I believe the answer is:
gulliver
'a much-travelled character' is the definition.
(character from Gulliver's Travels)
'pull back being' is the wordplay.
'pull' becomes 'lug' (I've seen this before).
'back' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'being' becomes 'liver' (a being is something which lives).
'lug' written backwards gives 'gul'.
'gul'+'liver'='GULLIVER'
(Other definitions for gulliver that I've seen before include "Swift man" , "Dean Swift's fictional traveller" , "Dean Swift's travelling man" , "Lilliput visitor" .)