1
as in pulling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
tugged on the door until it opened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.
—
Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 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
Let’s keep tugging on this thread.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
Be sure to check your work, according to AAA, by tugging from different angles.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Best of all, the addition of ball tips on the nylon bristles isn’t just for a passing scalp massage—instead, this helps to cut down snagging and tugging.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the new image captures the dwarf galaxies NGC 4490 and NGC 4485 stretching, tugging and warping one another in a dramatic gravitational dance unfolding 24 million light-years away.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025
The Lilybyred Starry Eyes Am9 to Pm9 Slim Survival Penliner glides on smoothly without tugging and stays put all day, so your day-to-night makeup transition is as smooth as the liner itself.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 2 Dec. 2025
Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 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
Let’s keep tugging on this thread.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
Be sure to check your work, according to AAA, by tugging from different angles.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Best of all, the addition of ball tips on the nylon bristles isn’t just for a passing scalp massage—instead, this helps to cut down snagging and tugging.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the new image captures the dwarf galaxies NGC 4490 and NGC 4485 stretching, tugging and warping one another in a dramatic gravitational dance unfolding 24 million light-years away.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025
The Lilybyred Starry Eyes Am9 to Pm9 Slim Survival Penliner glides on smoothly without tugging and stays put all day, so your day-to-night makeup transition is as smooth as the liner itself.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 2 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
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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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The Dodgers then knocked off the Giants in the NL Division Series, though Scherzer lost his Game 3 start – allowing three hits and a run on Evan Longoria’s game-deciding homer while laboring seven innings and 110 pitches.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
26 Oct. 2025
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With The Fulfillment, the sub-context is how clout culture is a currency, how attention itself has become a currency, just like our laboring bodies are.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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How to Get Around Though Bonaire is easy to explore by car, most visitors will probably want to pick up a truck or SUV when grabbing their rental at the airport; this type of vehicle is better for hauling dive gear or for driving down some of the island's rougher roads to reach remote beaches.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Jan. 2026
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Olivia pays $220 a month for compost hauling by Scraps Mile High, the company Turner started eight years ago and one of nine licensed haulers listed by the city on its website.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
4 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
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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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Kerra, the dog referenced in the video, had developed a grapefruit-sized mass on her breast tissue that was dragging on the ground and causing significant discomfort.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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That takes nothing away, though, from the epic job Herbert did dragging the Chargers through the second half of the season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For instance, energy-rich Saudi Arabia is striving to become the third largest AI market in the world, while leading players in France and Israel are pledging to lead in specialized AI applications.—
Boris Babic,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, first-year head coach Bucky McMillan is striving to win his third straight conference title.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
2 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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Someone trying to keep the clicks coming to make a living, or a leader of the repressed?—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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My body’s in a C shape, trying to track the aim.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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