tugged; tugging
1
: to pull or strain hard or forcefully at
felt someone tugging my sleeve
tugged the cord until it came out of the socket
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
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
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
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Dogs’ favorite bonding activities include playing fetch, tug, or Frisbee.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
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Verb
The idea of moving to America constantly tugs at rising singer-songwriter Larissa Lambert.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
Neither tug was blatant, but both seemed to impede Allende.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Dogs’ favorite bonding activities include playing fetch, tug, or Frisbee.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 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 5 Nov. 2025.
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