as in pulls
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
gave the man in front a tug on his shirtsleeve as a sign that he was supposed to step aside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in struggles
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of tugs
Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Throughout his time at the Palace, several women have reported feeling tugs on their hair or having the sensation that someone is lingering right over their shoulder.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Oct. 2025
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Here, fat-tire bicycles seem to outnumber cars, hours are measured in sunscreen applications and tugs on fishing lines, and island nightlife belongs to nesting sea turtles.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025
This pulling motion tugs on artificial bones, creating movements similar to how the human body works.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Kavya tugs on my arm, her nose is scrunched up, eyebrows discombobulated.
—Navdeep Singh Dhillon, Parents, 21 Aug. 2025
Images from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed tugs spraying water on the front of the New Orleans.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
An instant later, there came three or four more tugs.
—Anthony A. Ciuffa, Outdoor Life, 7 Aug. 2025
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Campaign Evolved is a safe bet in an increasingly unstable market that tugs on the heartstrings of veteran fans while pulling in a whole new community of potential PlayStation players conveniently in time for its big anniversary.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
On Earth, the result is the changing ocean tides as our moon tugs at the water.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Graff tugs the reader from the earliest experiments in radiation to the young pilots who made an ashy hole of Nagasaki.
—Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
It’s been over 50 years since viewers first set foot in Walnut Grove, but NBC’s Little House on the Prairie still tugs at our heartstrings today.
—Kelly Martinez, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
Less obvious is how the Earth itself tugs at the solid rocky surface of the moon.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Throughout his time at the Palace, several women have reported feeling tugs on their hair or having the sensation that someone is lingering right over their shoulder.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Oct. 2025
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Here, fat-tire bicycles seem to outnumber cars, hours are measured in sunscreen applications and tugs on fishing lines, and island nightlife belongs to nesting sea turtles.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025
This pulling motion tugs on artificial bones, creating movements similar to how the human body works.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Kavya tugs on my arm, her nose is scrunched up, eyebrows discombobulated.
—Navdeep Singh Dhillon, Parents, 21 Aug. 2025
Images from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed tugs spraying water on the front of the New Orleans.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
An instant later, there came three or four more tugs.
—Anthony A. Ciuffa, Outdoor Life, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
The idea of moving to America constantly tugs at rising singer-songwriter Larissa Lambert.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Campaign Evolved is a safe bet in an increasingly unstable market that tugs on the heartstrings of veteran fans while pulling in a whole new community of potential PlayStation players conveniently in time for its big anniversary.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
On Earth, the result is the changing ocean tides as our moon tugs at the water.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Graff tugs the reader from the earliest experiments in radiation to the young pilots who made an ashy hole of Nagasaki.
—Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
It’s been over 50 years since viewers first set foot in Walnut Grove, but NBC’s Little House on the Prairie still tugs at our heartstrings today.
—Kelly Martinez, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugs
Noun
-
Low-Quality Fixtures Finishes and fixtures—like faucets and lights, to door hardware and drawer pulls—might seem like an easy place to save on cost, but experts, designers, and Redditors alike often warn that cheap fixtures will quickly reveal their flaws.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Make sure to clean and polish knobs and pulls.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While Alex is reeling from his discovery, Dwayne attacks him and hauls him away.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Henry is surprised by the reaction of the crowd, which hauls him outside to drown him in the well for sticking his nose in clan matters.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Mason, my character, really struggles with that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The book, illustrated by Petra Brown and geared toward kids ages 3 to 7, follows a young girl named Kat who struggles to continue horseback riding after falling off a horse.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The move comes as the federal government shutdown drags on into its fourth week with no end in sight, and Democrats and Republicans trading barbs and blame.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
-
As the federal government shutdown drags on, tens of millions of people are at risk of losing food and nutrition aid as a result.—
NPR,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Every athlete faces the fear of failure and strives to uphold a standard.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Unity strives for timely payment processing, typically aiming to complete clean claims within about a month, with accountability built into its agreements.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Gave the two jerks her very best.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Because even in a world of monsters, ghouls, and greedy jerks, the good guys still prevail.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As a woman whose dawning realization infests and wrenches apart her family, Collette turns in one of the most towering horror performances in memory.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Torque wrenches are used to apply a specific amount of torque to a nut or bolt.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Bosu ball squat also works your abdominal muscles as well as your hip and ankle stabilizers, which play a key role in keeping you steady.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Her brand, The Loom Art, works with over 500 artisans to make apparel from handwoven or hand-embroidered fabrics found across India's small towns since 2018.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugs. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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