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
Check their progress by gently tugging on the cutting to see if there’s any resistance.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
The result is many annoyed fan owners tugging vigorously on the chain, only to have their fan suddenly turn into an in-home airplane propeller.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
Start checking around four weeks after planting by gently tugging on the cutting.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
This could get strange, with punk, metal, pop, and rock factions tugging in multiple directions.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
To keep little ones comfortable—and prevent them from tugging on the wires or moving too much—researchers had babies sit on a parent’s lap and provided toys to keep their hands busy.
—Clarissa Brincat, Parents, 29 Jan. 2026
When one attempts to selectively remove weft threads, tugging and pulling them away from neighboring strands as well as the warp around which they are woven, the integrity of the fabric is breached.
—Scott Santarosa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The long day weighs on me, tugging at my eyelids.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Nellie sat cross-legged on her bed, tugging her knees into her chest.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
The result is many annoyed fan owners tugging vigorously on the chain, only to have their fan suddenly turn into an in-home airplane propeller.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
Start checking around four weeks after planting by gently tugging on the cutting.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
This could get strange, with punk, metal, pop, and rock factions tugging in multiple directions.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
To keep little ones comfortable—and prevent them from tugging on the wires or moving too much—researchers had babies sit on a parent’s lap and provided toys to keep their hands busy.
—Clarissa Brincat, Parents, 29 Jan. 2026
When one attempts to selectively remove weft threads, tugging and pulling them away from neighboring strands as well as the warp around which they are woven, the integrity of the fabric is breached.
—Scott Santarosa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The long day weighs on me, tugging at my eyelids.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Nellie sat cross-legged on her bed, tugging her knees into her chest.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugging
Verb
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The film is incredibly, even magnificently, stylish, but beyond its initial presentation, there just isn’t very much guiding the story in any novel or exciting ways — beyond, perhaps, thematic echoes of how the less prim-and-proper tech bros of today might be pulling a fast one too.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
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Heimuli rebounded from the loss to Kouokam to beat Jessica Pyatt of El Paso Pebble Hills in a consolation semifinal, pulling Pyatt down with 15 seconds left in the second period and getting a pint five seconds later.—
Rick Kretzschmar,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 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
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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
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Days later, officers entered his home and beat him, before hauling him off to jail.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
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The Fort Allen Volunteer Fire Company said that crews responding to the crash found a semi-trailer truck that was hauling produce and was fully engulfed in flames.—
Megan Shinn,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Know More Apple’s leadership once thought Apple News could be an antidote to bad information online, and serve as a lifeline for a struggling news industry displaced by powerful tech platforms.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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The University of Houston poll shows Abbott's preferred candidates struggling with Republican primary voters.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Negotiators are showing few signs of backing down from their demands, and there’s little holding back talks from dragging on for the foreseeable future.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
17 Feb. 2026
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Eliza was eventually turned over to a bounty hunter, who, along with her original enslaver, went to Chicago and captured her, apparently dragging her down Adams Street, Krupa said.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There are filmmakers in Hollywood now, working under the same conditions — bloody conflict abroad, corruption in politics, monolithic mainstream entertainment — and striving for a similar freedom.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Learning a new skill is key to staying relevant in what Jake confirmed is the rapidly evolving K-pop universe, one that is quick to react to trends and changes as the industry cranks out a steady stream of new acts, each striving to carve a unique lane to break through to global audiences.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The expansive grounds cover 19 acres bordering the river, including a recreated 19th-century New England coastal village, a working shipyard, and the only wooden whaleship ship still afloat in the United States.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
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This research addresses one of the most complex problems in current robotics, the coordination of two arms working together.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Coach Rick Hirtensteiner said Young dealt with the pressure by just trying to have fun, and Sheffer, playing with his younger brother, Ryan, a starting shortstop, appeared to do just that Wednesday.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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At the forefront of having our backs through this whole process and trying to do the right thing was Bruce and Matt.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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