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
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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
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Recent Examples of tugs
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
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers, and is widely known for its satellite launching rockets known as Alpha.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Kelly Martinez, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers, and is widely known for its satellite launching rockets known as Alpha.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
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While club masseurs and physios were kept busy dealing with his team-mates’ pulls and strains, Salah’s only demands were around preparation and ensuring his body was ready for whatever Klopp had to throw at him the following day.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
-
The first-team All-County linebacker in ’24 led the Lancers in flag pulls, grabbed eight interceptions, and still caught 20 TDs.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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But if a team struggles to run the ball or pass the ball, the head coach is left to praise… the kicking game.—
Howard Megdal,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Ansari’s main idea was to show the gig economy, and those stuck on the lower end of the economic scale’s struggles just to say alive.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The North Carolina General Assembly returned Tuesday for the first time since last month, as a budget stalemate between the House and Senate drags on.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Aug. 2025
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But as the contest drags on, his resolve starts to crumble.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Now retired, Andra loved her job working for the federal government and strives to make a difference in the world around her.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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The brand strives to offer a premium denim look at prices more accessible than other premium denim brands.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The mechanism feels smooth and sturdy—no awkward jerks or wobbles.—
Zoë Sessums,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Life is too short to work with jerks.—
Shayne Fitz-Coy,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Eliécer Camacho Jiménez, former general of the Colombian National Police (the organization that works closely with the DEA on combatting drug trafficking in Colombia), told me there are growing divisions within Maduro's circles.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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That people might be falling for the Minneapolis shooter’s scribblings and raging at each other over potential motivations is likely thrilling to potential copycat killers—proof that the troll still works.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Thus, Last Rites tries a new trick, with the doll growing in size and chasing Judy down a hallway, in a sequence that is strangely reminiscent of Five Nights At Freddy's.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Everyone who shows up to his office tries to make one of his dreams come true.—
Debbie Day,
EW.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugs. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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