tug

verb \ ˈtəg \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: tug in a Sentence

Definition of tug

tugged; tugging

intransitive verb

1 : to pull hard

2 : to struggle in opposition : contend

3 : to exert oneself laboriously : labor

transitive verb

1 : to pull or strain hard at

2 a : to move by pulling hard : haul

b : to carry with difficulty : lug

3 : to tow with a tugboat

—

tugger

noun

See tug defined for English-language learners

See tug defined for kids

Examples of tug in a Sentence

I felt someone tugging on my sleeve.
She tugged the cord until the plug came out of the wall socket.

Recent Examples of tug from the Web

Each piece resonated, tugging on a range of emotions.

— cristela guerra, BostonGlobe.com, "Cambridge to imprint more sidewalk poetry this fall," 15 May 2018
At almost 500 million miles from the sun, the heat and energy primarily come from tidal interactions between Europa and Jupiter, similar to Earth's moon tugging on the oceans of our planet.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Spacecraft Likely Flew Though a Europa Water Plume in 1997," 14 May 2018
The guy from the Chicago Tribune was there, tugging on your arm.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: New York Times journalist Amy Chozick on Recode Media," 6 May 2018
So many people are dipping their toes in the waters of drag, pushing it in new directions, tugging on the borders!

— elyssa goodman, Billboard, "Sasha Velour Talks 'One Dollar Drags,' Creating Horror Movies in High School & More," 3 May 2018
And that passion, for many of us, started with tugging on the corner of mom’s apron all those years ago.

— paul stephen, San Antonio Express-News, "Critics and chefs share their fave recipes from mom," 2 May 2018
According to the video, the pit bull continued tugging on her shoe, his jaw tightly clenched.

— CBS News, "NYPD, MTA investigate alleged dog attack on New York City subway passenger," 25 Apr. 2018
While sporting the same look during a dance off with her sister Solange, the pop star again tugged on her strap as her over-the-knee boots became loose and dropped to her ankles.

— stephanie petit, PEOPLE.com, "Beyoncé Didn't Let Near-Wardrobe Malfunctions Stop Her Coachella Momentum," 15 Apr. 2018
Hitting the start button brings the willing and mannerly turbo to life, and tugging on the drive button gets you on your way.

— al haas, Philly.com, "Redesigned GMC Terrain Denali offers style, space, agility | Al Haas," 10 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tug

Middle English tuggen; akin to Old English togian to pull — more at tow

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

tug Synonyms

tug

noun

Definition of tug

1 a : an act or instance of tugging : pull

b : a strong pulling force

2 a : a straining effort

b : a struggle between two people or opposite forces

3 : tugboat

4 a : ³trace 1

b : a short leather strap or loop

c : a rope or chain used for pulling

See tug defined for English-language learners

Examples of tug in a Sentence

He felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.
gave the man in front a tug on his shirtsleeve as a sign that he was supposed to step aside

Recent Examples of tug from the Web

Since its inception in 1930, the FIFA World Cup has been in the middle of a continental tug-of-war between the two continents that dominate not just the tournament, but the sport as a whole.

— juan pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "South America seek an end to its European drought in Russia 2018," 10 June 2018
That guarantee of a tug on the end of the line is one of the biggest benefits of targeting sunfish as summer begins.

— shannon tompkins staff writer, San Antonio Express-News, "June spawn signals peak in Texas sunfish action," 7 June 2018
That guarantee of a tug on the end of the line is one of the biggest benefits of targeting sunfish as summer begins.

— shannon tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "June spawn signals peak in Texas sunfish action," 3 June 2018
The tug-of-war between eastern and western powers is not a novelty in a strategic corner of the continent torn apart in the bloody conflicts of the 1990s.

— andrea dudik, Bloomberg.com, "Europe Exposes Its Weakness to Russia and China in the Balkans," 16 May 2018
Advocates of chinook won the latest chapter of fisheries tug-of-war between species.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: There's no point in rushing when there's a big laker on the line," 28 Apr. 2018
New Orleans, once again, secured the player in a game of tug-of-war by landing Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith on Wednesday (April 11), a source confirmed to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.

— larry holder, NOLA.com, "Cameron Meredith acquisition offers Saints more NFL Draft flexibility," 11 Apr. 2018
The solar system is a massive game of tug of war that balances at the center of mass or barycenter of the solar system.

— said ahmed-zaid, idahostatesman, "Science and religion coexist to make the world work | Idaho Statesman," 31 Mar. 2018
Ever since taking office, Trump has been in the middle of a tug-of-war between his desire to appear like a strongman president and his campaign promise to withdraw the United States from foreign conflicts.

— dan merica, CNN, "Trump promise to get out of Syria 'very soon' could be a win for Russia," 30 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of tug

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 4a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tug Synonyms

Synonyms

draw, haul, jerk, pluck, pull, wrench, yank;

Antonyms

push;

Near Antonyms

heave, shove, thrust;

Related Words

drag, tow;

hitch, twitch;

grab, snatch;

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

Tug

abbreviation

Definition of Tug

tugrik, tugriks

TUG Defined for English Language Learners

tug

verb

Definition of tug for English Language Learners

: to pull something with a quick, forceful movement

tug

noun

Definition of tug for English Language Learners

: an act of pulling on something : a quick pull
: a strong pulling force

TUG Defined for Kids

tug

verb \ ˈtəg \

Definition of tug for Students

tugged; tugging

1 : to pull hard

I tugged at the rope.

2 : to move by pulling hard : drag

3 : to tow with a tugboat

tug

noun

Definition of tug for Students

1 : an act of pulling hard : a hard pull

She gave him a tug.

2 : tugboat

3 : a strong pulling force

the tug of gravity

4 : a struggle between two people or forces

Medical Dictionary

tug

medical Definition of tug

— see tracheal tug

Learn More about tug

See words that rhyme with tug Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tug Spanish Central: Translation of tug Nglish: Translation of tug for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tug for Arabic speakers

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tug

Definition of tug

tugger

Examples of tug in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tug from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tug

tug Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

tug

Definition of tug

Examples of tug in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tug from the Web

First Known Use of tug

tug Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

Tug

Definition of Tug

Phrases Related to TUG

Related Phrases

TUG Defined for English Language Learners

tug

Definition of tug for English Language Learners

tug

Definition of tug for English Language Learners

TUG Defined for Kids

tug

Definition of tug for Students

tug

Definition of tug for Students

Medical Dictionary

tug

medical Definition of tug

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