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
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
Pisces February 19 – March 20 Something is tugging at your conscience today.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2026
February 19 – March 20 Something is tugging at your conscience today.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 19 Jan. 2026
Taurus April 20 – May 20 New ideas are tugging you toward wider horizons.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
No more crying tots – or well-meaning helper elves – tugging on their long white beards and hemlines.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
Star pass-rusher Nik Bonitto nodded Sunday night, tugging on a shirt in the Broncos’ locker room after another win and another step toward history.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
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
Pisces February 19 – March 20 Something is tugging at your conscience today.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2026
February 19 – March 20 Something is tugging at your conscience today.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 19 Jan. 2026
Taurus April 20 – May 20 New ideas are tugging you toward wider horizons.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
No more crying tots – or well-meaning helper elves – tugging on their long white beards and hemlines.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
Star pass-rusher Nik Bonitto nodded Sunday night, tugging on a shirt in the Broncos’ locker room after another win and another step toward history.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugging
Verb
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As his career skyrocketed, Chalamet spent years quietly training — aided by an expert on the sport, Diego Schaaf — by pulling a table-tennis setup along to productions ranging from Dune to Wonka.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Notre Dame didn’t mess around in pulling all that material together, looking like a program with a plan before the portal opened.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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What viewers didn’t see was the 40 hours Daniels spent laboring on the project from inside a bomb shelter during a 2025 missile attack in Kyiv.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Authorities said a man from Florida was driving a Volvo semi hauling a trailer, and was following behind the southbound Peterbilt at the time of the crash.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Lindsay Trameri spent a good chunk of Thanksgiving weekend hauling fiberglass insulation pads into the attic of her small home in Irvington.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, the technology has been moving faster than state regulations can accommodate, and lawmakers have been struggling to walk the line between innovation and patient safety.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
And, for many borrowers struggling with debt, exploring alternatives like debt settlement or consolidation may offer significant relief without the complications that bankruptcy rules can create.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Israel had repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its feet in the recovery of the final hostage.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Israel had repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its feet in the recovery of Gvili’s remains.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Zelenskyy is also striving to keep the world’s attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Zelensky is also striving to keep the world’s attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hardemon, working with Miami City Commission Chairwoman Christine King and CRA Executive Director James McQueen, imagined a future that put Overtown at the center of art and innovation.—
Dorothy Jenkins Fields,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Not working with the federal agency is not the response the City of Pittsburgh Republican Committee wanted to hear.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Under New York law, the district attorney's office could be barred from trying Mangione on state murder charges if his federal trial happens first.—
MICHAEL R. SISAK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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The three cops who showed up weaved through the crowd trying to find the somebody who made the phone call.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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