1
as in pulled
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
tugged on the door until it opened
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
Another getaway that tugged at her heart was her first trip to Chilean Patagonia last year.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2025
Working on that song in particular tugged on Vetro's heartstrings throughout their rehearsal process.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
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
Another getaway that tugged at her heart was her first trip to Chilean Patagonia last year.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2025
Working on that song in particular tugged on Vetro's heartstrings throughout their rehearsal process.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugged
Verb
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The city has now pulled its offer to purchase the new facility and has no plans to pursue any other properties for such purposes.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Another child, a toddler, died at a Virginia hospital after being pulled from a frigid pond Monday, according to local police.—
Russ Bynum,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So far, though, the Swedish striker has struggled to consistently reach the level expected of him with Gabriel Jesus too injury-prone to be counted on over the course of a full season.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Multiple royal watchers have claimed the prince has struggled to move beyond the fallout of his dramatic exit from royal life six years ago, citing professional setbacks and lingering personal tensions.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most of the parts for such houses are assembled in a factory, like a car, then hauled to the property and put together.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The family hauled six horses in a convoy led by a 2-ton truck pulling a 32-foot trailer.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team labored in home losses to Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers, with Mahomes ultimately suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the fourth quarter of that setback against the Chargers.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The administration has labored to frame the use of the military in Venezuela as a law enforcement action, since Maduro had outstanding warrants for his arrest in the United States.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The company pulled the plug on its Cruise robotaxi business in 2024 in the wake of a high-profile incident in which a San Francisco pedestrian was dragged under the car.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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The stretch is just short of New York City’s record cold stretch, which dragged on for 16 days.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Bulls called a timeout and worked the ball to Huerter, who nailed a 3 from the corner with less than a second remaining.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Older systems worked from rigid templates and failed when markets introduced exceptions.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During his short time in office, Garfield endeavored to clean up the government.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Padilla endeavored to make his mark early.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugged. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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