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
The movie was a major success, tugging at the heartstrings of pet owners everywhere.
—
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
By July or August, if all goes well, the spacecraft will begin the monthslong process of tugging Swift up, aiming for an altitude of about 550 kilometers.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
The officer grabbed Lugo, with Barkley tugging at Lugo’s arm.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The easy-to-use roller design features a cooling metal applicator that gently glides across the neck's contours, massaging the lightweight formula into skin without pulling or tugging skin.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Playing the title role of a linguistics professor who faces changes and prepares her family for what's to come as the disease takes hold, Moore navigates the character arc with honesty and heart-tugging empathy.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
By July or August, if all goes well, the spacecraft will begin the monthslong process of tugging Swift up, aiming for an altitude of about 550 kilometers.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
The officer grabbed Lugo, with Barkley tugging at Lugo’s arm.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The easy-to-use roller design features a cooling metal applicator that gently glides across the neck's contours, massaging the lightweight formula into skin without pulling or tugging skin.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Playing the title role of a linguistics professor who faces changes and prepares her family for what's to come as the disease takes hold, Moore navigates the character arc with honesty and heart-tugging empathy.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugging
Verb
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Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Montiel, 62, said Chavez’s legacy continues to reverberate as the union has pushed for improved working conditions for people laboring in extreme heat, at times without adequate breaks or water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Truckers also often don’t get paid for months after hauling a load.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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The city of Denver is granting ten restaurants up to $3,600 to pay for one year’s worth of compost hauling ahead of a new rule that will require every restaurant in the city to start composting.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lillibridge says the prices are piling onto an already struggling industry.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With negotiations dragging, hundreds of TSA agents have quit during the partial shutdown and thousands of others have called out of work.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside Hezbollah, and dragging the country into another war with Israel.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are the striving, dysfunctional parents, and the politically calculating peers.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Through the Daodejing, one of the central texts of Daoism, Laozi offers perspectives from a tumultuous period of status-striving in Chinese history – and shifts our focus from comparison and competition to contentment.—
Stephen Chen,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And while Harrell continues his rehab, newcomer Cole Gonzales has been working with the first team, along with returner Grayson Loftis, who started seven games last season.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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One player who’s looking forward to working with Corona is freshman Max DeHoyos.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police officials said Abril took the couple hostage during the standoff after a shootout with CHP investigators trying to serve a search warrant at the park.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Simplifying remote access for users with a wide range of tech savvy (or for those stuck in BIOS or trying to troubleshoot) can speed up support and maybe even prevent the need to send a machine in the mail for servicing.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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