as in pull
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
gave the man in front a tug on his shirtsleeve as a sign that he was supposed to step aside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
she's tugged all her life to get to where she is now in the business world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tug
Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2025
Collateral damage in a tug of war between Florida and federal immigration authorities, the girl was about to be tossed out of foster care.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025
Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Some brushes can tug, cause static, or pull too harshly at delicate strands, leading to unnecessary damage over time.
—Daisy Maldonado, Glamour, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Noun
Ripe tomatoes should easily come off the plant with a gentle tug.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2025
Collateral damage in a tug of war between Florida and federal immigration authorities, the girl was about to be tossed out of foster care.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025
Verb
However, tugging at people’s heart strings will only get a nonprofit so far.
—Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Some brushes can tug, cause static, or pull too harshly at delicate strands, leading to unnecessary damage over time.
—Daisy Maldonado, Glamour, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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The inclusion of a retractable cable mechanism in the new devices has been tested to withstand up to 30,000 pulls.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
On these days, the moon will be at its furthest from the Earth's equator, changing its gravitational pull and causing our planet to spin just a tiny bit faster on its axis, according to science news website LiveScience.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Its employees pick up furniture in its delivery vans and use a proprietary network of carriers to bring it to customers, giving it an edge over platforms where buyers need to haul furniture from the sellers’ homes.—
Elaine Pofeldt,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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And an integrated rear rack is rated to haul up to 75 lb (34 kg) of shopping or gear (or pooch with the addition of an optional carrier).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 July 2025
Verb
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But almost six months into his second mandate, his administration has struggled to keep the cost of the staple down.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
-
Today, many humanoid robots struggle to handle multiple tasks simultaneously—and to reason or understand context in the ways humans can.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Running on a level surface (in supportive shoes—see above!) can serve as plenty a cardio workout without the extra yank on your plantar fascia.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
20 June 2025
-
Four yanks later, voila: Clayton had pulled free his prize, leaving just a single strand of nylon stuck in the Alamodome rim.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The plucky little superdog drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is treated by a posse of robots.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
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That’s good for everyone, even expat journalists dragging their kids along to cover a new story.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Finally, gradually acclimatizing workers to laboring in extreme heat, instead of expecting people to work full-steam on the first few blazing hot days of the summer.—
Terri Gerstein,
New York Daily News,
25 June 2025
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The flip side Kudos and thanks to the city crews who recently cleaned the benches at Lake Como Park, and labored for days rebuilding the bridges!—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Lisa and Jody are mad that Larsa was a jerk at Jody’s birthday party.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
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Based on my experience, labeling someone a contrarian is just an extremely polite way of calling out a person for being a jerk who’s obsessed with the sound of their own voice.—
Sherry Kuehl,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Dunham, in turn, strives to find new ways of expressing the emotion, through disarming dialogue and affecting tableaux.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
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Founded in 886 by King Alfred the Great, The Royal Mint strives to marry its illustrious history with innovations in sustainable sourcing of precious metals.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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