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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to struggle
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 tug
Micaela English, Glamour, 30 Apr. 2026
Video of the pair's initial greeting at the White House on Monday is circulating online, showing the president firmly grasping hands with the monarch, and giving a few characteristic tugs.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Love & Other Drugs (2010) Edward Zwick’s Love & Other Drugs is a mixed bag, attempting to skewer the pharmaceutical world at the advent of Viagra while also being a heart-tugging romantic comedy.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug
Noun
An all-in-one matte essential, this no-tug formula is infused with shea butter and jojoba oil, applying smoothly over fine lines on mature lips without dragging.
—Micaela English, Glamour, 30 Apr. 2026
Video of the pair's initial greeting at the White House on Monday is circulating online, showing the president firmly grasping hands with the monarch, and giving a few characteristic tugs.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
The rejection hit me hard—the story, of the daughter of a celebrity chef who moves to a small town after being adopted by her older brother, was really tugging at my heartstrings.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Love & Other Drugs (2010) Edward Zwick’s Love & Other Drugs is a mixed bag, attempting to skewer the pharmaceutical world at the advent of Viagra while also being a heart-tugging romantic comedy.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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Agents favor structured, verifiable signals over recognition or emotional pull.—
Zac Brandenberg,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The open floor plan meanders its way around to a cozy family room and a formal dining room, along with a spacious vaulted kitchen featuring Shaker-style cabinetry with gold pulls, an eat-in island, an apron-front sink, and an accompanying breakfast nook.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The launch vehicle—made up of SpaceX’s Super Heavy Version 3 (V3) booster and Starship—stands some 124 meters tall and is designed to haul up to 150 metric of cargo into space in its fully reusable configuration.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
12 May 2026
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Dragon is the only ISS resupply ship that can haul material down to Earth.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
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In April, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo proved to be an effective outlet as Chelsea struggled to cope with their pace.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Family members said Ross is still struggling with memory gaps and emotional distress following her detention.—
Jade le Deley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Analysts have repeatedly warned that if the war drags on and supply chains are disrupted for long enough, prices for gas and a range of other goods could continue to climb.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Billy, who speaks in a honeyed southern accent, dresses in Old Hollywood drag, and lives alone in the defunct summer camp where Camp Miasma was shot, isn’t just an envoy from another generation but a representative of a more visceral relationship with art.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Imagine a place of employment where everyone in the building is laboring to live out their childhood dream.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
10 May 2026
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Just three had received fewer innings per game from their starters, increasing the burden on a bullpen laboring under the strain.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Emerson had a 290 in the clean-and-jerk and 235 in the snatch (525 total) in the 154-pound weight class.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
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McKenzie was even more ahead of the pack in the Traditional style, which couples each lifter’s best bench press with their clean-and-jerk mark.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was always expected to live a quiet life — but she’s sent on an entirely different path when her mother, a general in the military, orders her to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become dragon riders, the elite of Navarre.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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Vision Zero is the initiative striving to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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