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
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Recent Examples of tugs
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
Its tech is being used to power the world’s first electric tugs that are about to go into service at the Port of Long Beach, under a deal worth $160 million announced in late 2025.
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Some companies are designing tugs that could boost missions from their drop-off orbits to higher altitudes, potentially even to the Moon or beyond the Solar System.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
Gravity from huge superclusters tugs on the motions of galaxies across the universe, drawing them closer.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 May 2026
Video of the pair's initial greeting at the White House on Monday is circulating online, showing the president firmly grasping hands with the monarch, and giving a few characteristic tugs.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The ships represented by red shapes are tankers, while green shapes represent cargo ships and light blue ones are tugs, service or military vessels.
—Dana Karni, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Amy Heckerling, in her feature debut, has proven herself to be a truly gifted director, able to tickle the ribs with one hand while the other tugs at the heartstrings.
—Gina Friedlande, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
There’s an elastic tension in the way that a character like Mal wants to confess, wants to share in community, and also wants to disappear, a situation that tugs at her relationships with her friends and with the audience.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 May 2026
The immediacy of svn4vr’s arrangements always tugs the heartstrings.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Young deftly tugs readers into an atmospheric novel perfect for spring book clubs.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The moody Moon tugs at vigorous Mars, resulting in a square that puts pressure on your wary 8th house and your typically more light-hearted 5th house.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026
The pacing slackens a little as the complicated process inches forward, but the ending tugs the heartstrings in enormously satisfying ways.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Riley tugs the false eyelashes off.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
In contrast to conventional airport tugs, the electric TaxiBot is controlled directly by the pilot from the cockpit.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
Its tech is being used to power the world’s first electric tugs that are about to go into service at the Port of Long Beach, under a deal worth $160 million announced in late 2025.
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Some companies are designing tugs that could boost missions from their drop-off orbits to higher altitudes, potentially even to the Moon or beyond the Solar System.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
Gravity from huge superclusters tugs on the motions of galaxies across the universe, drawing them closer.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 May 2026
Video of the pair's initial greeting at the White House on Monday is circulating online, showing the president firmly grasping hands with the monarch, and giving a few characteristic tugs.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The ships represented by red shapes are tankers, while green shapes represent cargo ships and light blue ones are tugs, service or military vessels.
—Dana Karni, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Amy Heckerling, in her feature debut, has proven herself to be a truly gifted director, able to tickle the ribs with one hand while the other tugs at the heartstrings.
—Gina Friedlande, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
Just across the state line, Alabama’s DeSoto State Park and Little River Canyon are also wonderful for stunning views, hikes and whatever else tugs your trotline.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
There’s an elastic tension in the way that a character like Mal wants to confess, wants to share in community, and also wants to disappear, a situation that tugs at her relationships with her friends and with the audience.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 May 2026
The immediacy of svn4vr’s arrangements always tugs the heartstrings.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Young deftly tugs readers into an atmospheric novel perfect for spring book clubs.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The moody Moon tugs at vigorous Mars, resulting in a square that puts pressure on your wary 8th house and your typically more light-hearted 5th house.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026
The pacing slackens a little as the complicated process inches forward, but the ending tugs the heartstrings in enormously satisfying ways.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Riley tugs the false eyelashes off.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugs
Noun
-
Metadata, logs and API pulls confirm a token was spent and a call was made.—
Mark Hull,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Borcherding recommends making sure that the mounting hole width lines up with your existing pulls.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Having already been booked for a foul on Brobbey, Fofana hauls down Wilson Isidor and earns his club’s eighth red card of the Premier League season.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
-
According to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the Thunderbirds cost taxpayers about $35 million a year in salaries, aircraft, fuel, rehearsals and the C-17 cargo plane that hauls 50-plus support crew and spare parts to every stop on the tour.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The introvert who generates extraordinary individual insight but struggles to inspire large groups gets an extroverted deputy to do the rallying.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
When Little John struggles to describe his dream girl, Robin instructs his protegee to sketch an image with words.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The yanks are coming, the yanks are coming!—
Kirk Bowman,
The Conversation,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The rest of the film drags, the pacing falters, and the story inches toward a mediocre conclusion.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
-
Expectations of higher oil prices as the war drags on have kept long-term bond yields elevated, causing mortgage rates to mostly trend higher.—
Alex Veiga,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
New legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of senators strives to add new aircraft to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter fleet and codify the agency’s role in meteorological research.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
-
In a world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus, bio-hacked tech bros, AI labs and disillusioned teens being optimized in elite private schools, an audacious data-mining CEO (Billy Magnussen) strives to turn insight and influence into profit and power.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
After Game 4, jerks were throwing things at Victor Wembanyama.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
-
Something from this article might put me on some Ben Shapiro list, where a bunch of jerks literally will just call me ‘f****t’ or worse on my social media.—
William Earl,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugs. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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