TUG Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

tug 1 of 2

noun

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

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tug

2 of 2

verb

ˈtəg

as in to pull

to cause to follow by applying steady force on tugged on the door until it opened

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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

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Examples of tug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most scientists believe that ice ages—there have been at least ten of them over the past two and half million years—are initiated and terminated by periodic shifts in the Earth’s orbit, caused by, among other factors, the tug of Jupiter and Saturn. —

Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Image: Umar Shakir / The Verge Some automakers today are in a tug of war with Apple and Google because drivers are in love with their phones and prefer to use their mobile device’s interface over the car’s factory offering. —

Umar Shakir, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2024

Verb

Reacting to the lengthy and heartfelt tribute, Jackman revealed that Reynolds’ words had tugged at his heartstrings. —

Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2024 In some years, this can tug the comet’s stream of debris closer to Earth and in other years push it farther away. —

Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tug

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.