tug

1 of 3

verb

ˈtəg 

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

tug

2 of 3

noun

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

: trace entry 3 sense 1

b

: a short leather strap or loop

c

: a rope or chain used for pulling

Tug

3 of 3

abbreviation

tugrik, tugriks

Synonyms

Verb

• pull
• haul
• drag

Noun

• pull
• yank
• jerk
• wrench

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

Verb

Estimated torque checks in at 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) continuous, 525 Nm (387 lb-ft) peak, an advantage when trying to tug water skiers and wake boarders up out of the water and gliding forward. —New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025

Gently tug on a center leaf from the crown. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 25 Aug. 2025

Noun

Several noted that his instinctive tug had likely prevented the pair from colliding with the elk. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

Unlike icy moons such as Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus, which are kept warm by the gravitational tug of giant planets, Ceres has no external energy source to prolong its habitability. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Phrases Containing tug

• tug-of-love
• tug-of-war
• tug/pull at one's heartstrings
• tug/touch one's forelock

Rhymes for tug

• chug
• doug
• drug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• lug
• mug
• plug
• pug
• rug
• rugg

Kids Definition

tug

1 of 2 verb

ˈtəg 

tugged; tugging

1

a

: to pull hard

b

: to move by pulling hard : drag

2

: to tow with a tugboat

tugger noun

tug

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: an act or instance of tugging : pull

b

: a strong pulling force

2

: a struggle between two people or forces

3

: tugboat

Medical Definition

tug

see tracheal tug