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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tugging
Before the film's presentation, the actress was seen playfully tugging at her husband's blazer.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The gel formula swipes onto the lids without any skipping or tugging, giving you ample time to smudge, sculpt, or sharpen the line before the brand’s patented PermaLock Technology sets it into a waterproof, transfer-proof, and smudge-proof finish.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 10 May 2026
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
Earlier this month, Chelsea Women’s head coach Sonia Bompastor took umbrage with Arsenal’s Katie McCabe tugging the locks of Alyssa Thompson during a Champions League tie.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 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
Having the peace of mind that your top won’t distract you by shifting or tugging makes bodysuits a worthwhile office attire investment.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
The nylon fabric is structured but not stiff, with enough stretch to handle a scramble without tugging at your knees.
—Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Nanny Aimee -- our second in command -- was moving through the far corners of the house, waking up each of the littles, kissing sleepy eyelids, tugging my two toddlers gently forward into the day.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The gel formula swipes onto the lids without any skipping or tugging, giving you ample time to smudge, sculpt, or sharpen the line before the brand’s patented PermaLock Technology sets it into a waterproof, transfer-proof, and smudge-proof finish.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 10 May 2026
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
Earlier this month, Chelsea Women’s head coach Sonia Bompastor took umbrage with Arsenal’s Katie McCabe tugging the locks of Alyssa Thompson during a Champions League tie.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 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
Having the peace of mind that your top won’t distract you by shifting or tugging makes bodysuits a worthwhile office attire investment.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
The nylon fabric is structured but not stiff, with enough stretch to handle a scramble without tugging at your knees.
—Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Nanny Aimee -- our second in command -- was moving through the far corners of the house, waking up each of the littles, kissing sleepy eyelids, tugging my two toddlers gently forward into the day.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugging
Verb
-
The Wall Street wine guys of the eighties, now elderly, seem to be pulling the ladder up behind them.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
This entire island’s economy used to depend on them pulling the heavy wooden wheels of old-school olive presses.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
The film eliminated even a gesture toward a plot while showing solitary nonprofessional and real-life ranch-hand Misael Saavedra chopping and hauling logs in the Argentinian hinterlands (in actuality, Alonso’s family’s ranch).—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
In terms of where to beach, wide stretches of sand in Beach Haven remain some of the Jersey Shore’s most desirable, drawing surfers at sunrise, families hauling coolers and striped umbrellas by midday, and sunset walkers lingering until the sky fades pink over the dunes.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Many libraries’ orders went unfulfilled, and all but the largest ones were left struggling to get popular titles to their patrons.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Across Oahu’s North Shore, an area famed for its big-wave surfing, the small farms that help supply the island’s food are struggling after back-to-back storms in March brought the state’s worst flooding in two decades.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Travelers end up dragging coats through museums or try to shove them into already full suitcases before a train transfer.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
-
That’s led to a stark split between Wall Street analysts and energy experts, who have been warning that oil supplies could head off a cliff in the coming months or even weeks, dragging the global economy down in the process.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The world cracked open, and now everyone’s striving to fit the jagged pieces back into a box called civilized society.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
After the shocking results of the 2024 election, seven friends split between Black Democrats and Black Republicans gather for dinner to debate American politics, striving to find common ground over food, drinks, and laughter.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
By late summer, as the government’s funding was set to run out again, Jeffries was working closely with Schumer to make sure that Democrats in the House and the Senate were in alignment.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Across all of them, AI is working where the operating model was ready for it.—
Dennis Woodside,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Sullivan, though, first pushed back on the idea the Dolphins were trying to trade him at the NFL meetings later that month, calling him a priority to get extended.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
In that sense, perhaps collecting people who care deeply about the same places is a more promising digital model than trying to appeal to everyone everywhere.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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