tug 1 of 2

Definition of tugnext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tug

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tug
Noun
Instead, use your thumb and forefinger to grasp the berry at the stem and give it a gentle tug. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026 Matching net-zero targets The Svitzer Balder is an innovative TRAnsverse tug design. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
The nylon fabric is structured but not stiff, with enough stretch to handle a scramble without tugging at your knees. Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026 The immediacy of svn4vr’s arrangements always tugs the heartstrings. H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
  • Subscribe now There could be no better example of the pull these franchises have among the local and Indian diaspora fan base than the Mittal family, whose roots are in the state of Rajasthan.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 May 2026
  • Instead of billet housing, Castaneda and his teammates bounced around from one Airbnb to the next, sleeping on couches, pull-out mattresses or the kitchen floor.
    Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • The new law, which took effect in October, requires tow truck companies to give owners notice before hauling away a car for minor issues like failing to display an apartment complex’s parking permit or parking in the wrong space.
    Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The new law, which took effect in October, requires tow truck companies to give owners notice before hauling away a car for minor issues like failing to display an apartment complex’s parking permit or parking in the wrong space.
    Ginny Monk, ProPublica, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The contestants struggled mighty hard with the songs.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Pornographic deepfake images of her have circulated online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and antiabuse groups have struggled to fix.
    Maria Sherman, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • No snagging Lower-quality beard combs often have the intolerable tendency to pull, yank or just rip out clumps of facial hair.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Each blade has a pull tab at the top of its cartridge; just give it a gentle yank to remove it.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.
    Big Think, Big Think, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • OpenAI’s attorneys painted Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman as humble startup founders who labored to build OpenAI while Musk was largely absent.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • For the rest of us, the construction kickoff means delay upon delay as streets, avenues and roads are awash with heavy equipment and construction workers laboring with jackhammers, picks and shovels.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Here, witches are real — and so are jerks.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The passengers include the requisite obnoxious jerk, Dan (Angus Sampson), already throwing his weight around and breaking no-smoking rules at LAX.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Newer companies, such as Firefly Aerospace, Stoke Space and Relativity Space, are also striving to rise to the competition.
    Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
  • As Miranda faces public outcry and the pressures of a downturning publishing industry, Andy once again strives for her approval amid her steadfast pursuit of rigorous journalism.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

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