1
as in pulled
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
tugged on the door until it opened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggled
to devote serious and sustained effort
she's tugged all her life to get to where she is now in the business world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tugged
After a few demonstrations, Destiny tugged the cord the way Carol showed us, and the bike roared to life.
—
Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 2026
The silicone prosthetics were incredibly thin, which meant that putting a ring through them could rip them if they were accidentally tugged or pulled too hard.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 3 Feb. 2026
Heartstrings are tugged as what appear to be hardworking, hard-loving individuals receive aesthetic and material upgrades.
—Rich Juzwiak, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
The penalty was awarded following a VAR check by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala after Diaz had been tugged to the ground by Senegal fullback El Hadji Malick Diouf while defending a corner five minutes into stoppage time.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The Carolina Panthers saw their season come to an end in a way that tugged on all sorts of emotions — after a game that was equal parts thrilling and blissful and heartbreaking.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
His administration’s agenda has tugged the law to its limits on several occasions, and is currently undergoing multiple court battles on issues ranging from immigration to tariffs.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
These shifts allowed researchers to calculate how Titan’s gravity tugged on the spacecraft, revealing how flexible—or malleable—the moon is.
—New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2025
In fact, one of my most vivid memories was sitting between my mother’s legs getting my hair brushed, tugged, and pulled into a low, sleek bun for my track meets.
—Essence, 18 Dec. 2025
Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 2026
The silicone prosthetics were incredibly thin, which meant that putting a ring through them could rip them if they were accidentally tugged or pulled too hard.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 3 Feb. 2026
Heartstrings are tugged as what appear to be hardworking, hard-loving individuals receive aesthetic and material upgrades.
—Rich Juzwiak, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
The penalty was awarded following a VAR check by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala after Diaz had been tugged to the ground by Senegal fullback El Hadji Malick Diouf while defending a corner five minutes into stoppage time.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The Carolina Panthers saw their season come to an end in a way that tugged on all sorts of emotions — after a game that was equal parts thrilling and blissful and heartbreaking.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
His administration’s agenda has tugged the law to its limits on several occasions, and is currently undergoing multiple court battles on issues ranging from immigration to tariffs.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
These shifts allowed researchers to calculate how Titan’s gravity tugged on the spacecraft, revealing how flexible—or malleable—the moon is.
—New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2025
In fact, one of my most vivid memories was sitting between my mother’s legs getting my hair brushed, tugged, and pulled into a low, sleek bun for my track meets.
—Essence, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugged
Verb
-
The officers did not draw their guns until Chakraborty pulled the knife, NYPD officials said.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Hundreds of thousands canceled their subscriptions after Bezos pulled a Kamala Harris endorsement from the opinion section in 2024, according to CJR.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The victim got out and struggled with the suspect, and was able to disarm her, but suffered cuts during the incident.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Buffalo’s power play has struggled, but in the last couple of games, there have been signs of life.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My parents got the school involved, and the ringleaders were hauled into the vice principal’s office.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
1 Feb. 2026
-
For days now, Pittsburghers have been talking about the tons of snow that have to get hauled out of the city, surrounding communities, and neighborhoods.—
John Shumway,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When the novel opens in Florence, in 1557, the body of the painter Jacopo da Pontormo lies in the chapel of San Lorenzo—in front of the frescoes he’d labored over for a decade, with a painter’s chisel stuck in his heart.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Johnson labored through a tender calf, cramping and fatigue.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Upstairs, behind a locked door, the force dragged the town into infamy.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Although the largest companies can absorb a drop in valuations, other AI companies have been dragged along by the hype, especially in the private markets.—
Mikael Johnsson,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the years following his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Puth worked for DeGeneres' eleveneleven label, released a couple of promotional singles, and collaborated on other music, including jingles and theme songs for YouTube personalities.—
Marina Johnson,
IndyStar,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Epstein hired a team of aggressive, high-profile lawyers, who worked with prosecutors to limit the punishment Epstein faced.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One month later, Turning Point’s flagship conference descended into recriminations over the very controversies and conspiracies that its founder had endeavored so assiduously to suppress.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
-
During his short time in office, Garfield endeavored to clean up the government.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugged. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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