tugged; tugging
1
: to pull or strain hard at
3
: to tow with a tugboat
tugger
noun
tugrik, tugriks
Examples of tug in a Sentence
Verb
I felt someone tugging on my sleeve.
She tugged the cord until the plug came out of the wall socket.
Noun
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 on the Web
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
Campaign Evolved is a safe bet in an increasingly unstable market that tugs on the heartstrings of veteran fans while pulling in a whole new community of potential PlayStation players conveniently in time for its big anniversary.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
In the heart of the Amazon Basin, where the borders and cultures of Peru, Colombia and Brazil converge, a tiny, shape-shifting island has become the unlikely setting for a diplomatic tug of war.
—Sarah Hutter, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
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Verb
When you’re done, simply pop open the large dustbin and empty debris directly into the trash—no tugging out tangled hair or gunk required.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
Campaign Evolved is a safe bet in an increasingly unstable market that tugs on the heartstrings of veteran fans while pulling in a whole new community of potential PlayStation players conveniently in time for its big anniversary.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Wall Street Journal reports that regardless of how that fiscal tug-of- war turns out, health insurance premiums paid by Americans are expected to rise another 8% or 9% next year.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
In the heart of the Amazon Basin, where the borders and cultures of Peru, Colombia and Brazil converge, a tiny, shape-shifting island has become the unlikely setting for a diplomatic tug of war.
—Sarah Hutter, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tug. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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