1
as in pulling
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 laboring
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 tugging
On Friday, the Euphoria stargave fans a glimpse of her ideal cozy date night, tugging down her plunging burgundy bralette while snapping photos on her laptop from her bed.
—
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Creams and balms melt into skin without tugging, while newer powder formulas are silky enough to avoid that chalky, flat look.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
In Barcelona, Cindy was alert enough to ward off a would-be thief tugging on her tote bag.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
When Otegbayo became the second player dismissed, this time on 90 minutes for a second caution after tugging back Tyrese Campbell, the game was up.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Favorite moment of Games The Olympics are full of heart-tugging moments but none were better than Elana Meyers Taylor standing on the podium after winning the gold medal in women’s monobob.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, another hoax is tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026
Check their progress by gently tugging on the cutting to see if there’s any resistance.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
Start checking around four weeks after planting by gently tugging on the cutting.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Creams and balms melt into skin without tugging, while newer powder formulas are silky enough to avoid that chalky, flat look.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
In Barcelona, Cindy was alert enough to ward off a would-be thief tugging on her tote bag.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
When Otegbayo became the second player dismissed, this time on 90 minutes for a second caution after tugging back Tyrese Campbell, the game was up.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Favorite moment of Games The Olympics are full of heart-tugging moments but none were better than Elana Meyers Taylor standing on the podium after winning the gold medal in women’s monobob.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, another hoax is tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026
Check their progress by gently tugging on the cutting to see if there’s any resistance.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
Start checking around four weeks after planting by gently tugging on the cutting.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugging
Verb
-
Those worries have spilled into financial markets, pulling share prices sharply lower.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Someone’s always pulling the knife out or holding the knife.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The son of a medical-gas plumber who worked night shifts, Darnold just kept laboring at his craft.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In the summer of 2024, UNICEF’s representative in Congo suggested that 361,000 children might be laboring in mines in southern Congo, though this number seems implausibly high and drew quick opprobrium from Congolese NGOs that work on the issue.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Singh was stopped for inspection at a weigh station while hauling a load of frozen chicken along Interstate 80.—
Simon Hankinson,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Clear Creek County Investigators said both the driver and passenger got out of the truck, which was hauling two trailers, and were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No workers for mundane tasks Diez revealed that manufacturers worldwide are struggling to find laborers for highly repetitive physical tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Dogs generally aren’t allowed on cruises, but after struggling to find a flight that would allow pets in the cabin, Morris decided to bring Monty across the pond in the storied ocean liner’s kennels – one of the only ways cruise travelers' furry friends can sail the high seas.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Based on the 1928 original, the watch features a solid gold dial with an aperture that displays jumping hours at 12 o’clock and a secondary aperture that shows dragging minutes.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Videos posted to social media taken by witnesses show law enforcement putting people in handcuffs, and some show agents tackling people to the ground and dragging them.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Midway through Ramadan, Muslims across the United States are striving to maintain the holy month’s traditional mix of prayers and festive spirit under a cloud of worrisome events.—
Luis Andres Henao,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Figure on an almost completely different combination striving to finish games in August and September.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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China’s biggest chain of eye hospitals is working with an adviser on the share sale, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.—
Julia Fioretti,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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The papers allege that his working hours at the school and with the city overlapped.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Israel also pressed on with near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah has been trying to rebuild its positions there, killing nearly 400 people while the ceasefire was in place.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Senate progressives are trying to keep it simple.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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