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
When owner Nicholas Iwaniuk saw his dog Shadow, the half Australian shepherd, half Australian cattle dog tugged at her leash, charged forward and jumped into his arms.
—
Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
From life’s first moments, multiplying cells are squished, stretched, and tugged to form tissues that bend and twist into organs that expand and contract.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
And when Sky and Virginia were playing in a backyard sandpit one day, her little brother tugged on her T-shirt, pointing toward a snake.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Baseball still tugged at his heart.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Yelkur ranked Google’s Gemini commercial about imagining a new home as one of the most emotionally appealing, likeable ads that tugged at the heartstrings.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
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
Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
From life’s first moments, multiplying cells are squished, stretched, and tugged to form tissues that bend and twist into organs that expand and contract.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
And when Sky and Virginia were playing in a backyard sandpit one day, her little brother tugged on her T-shirt, pointing toward a snake.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Baseball still tugged at his heart.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Yelkur ranked Google’s Gemini commercial about imagining a new home as one of the most emotionally appealing, likeable ads that tugged at the heartstrings.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugged
Verb
-
Brent crude, which at one point neared $120 a barrel, pulled back significantly to around $90.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, insurers, oil companies and cargo firms have pulled back from operating in the area or transiting the critical waterway.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Alcantara struggled in his World Baseball Classic debut three years ago for his native Dominican Republic, which didn’t advance out of pool play that year.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The 30-year-old offensive tackle — who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2019 season — was brought to Charlotte in 2024 as a reserve option at tackle for the Panthers, who were interested in bolstering an offensive line that struggled mightily the year before.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On the non-passenger side, freight carriers hauled 6% less cargo in January compared with the same month in 2025, though international cargo rose 2%.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
-
This sudden outburst earns her a pauper’s grave, after she’s hauled out of the restaurant and shoved, accidentally or intentionally, down the stairs.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lakshmi even labored over the shape of the studio, citing studies that conclude rounded shapes facilitate focus and creativity.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Many states in recent years have labored to pass sports betting laws, tapping massive tax revenues from wagers to balance their budgets.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, much of Iraq rose up to expel US ground forces, and the war dragged on for eight years.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The snake had dragged him roughly 30 feet from where their wrestling match began.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sheri Penzari, who has worked for United, Delta, and the now-defunct Eastern Air Lines, also recommends dual-purpose dressing.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Hawks worked the ball up court and got it to Webb who fake a drive to make some space and then drilled a three with 10 seconds left to retake the lead.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Along the way, Pollan endeavored to find answers to some of the most fundamental questions of existence, like why is there a subjective self at all?—
Nick Hilden,
Rolling Stone,
24 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Tugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugged. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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