TUGS Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

tugs 1 of 2

noun

plural of tug

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

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tugs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tug

as in hauls

to cause to follow by applying steady force on tugged on the door until it opened

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tugs

Noun

The European Investment Bank (EIB) estimates that roughly 200 wrecks, including warships, barges, tugs, and cargo vessels, remain scattered across a five-kilometer stretch of the river near Prahovo. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026 Momentus’ spacecraft can also serve as space tugs to ferry smaller satellites or experiments from one orbit to another. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026 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, 7 July 2026 Those ⁠vessels are smaller commercial ships, including five smaller oil tankers, coastal ships and tugs, according to analysis of the vessels waiting. — Reuters, NBC news, 24 June 2026 Your 8th House of Intimacy and Resources tugs on play as the intuitive Moon squares messenger Mercury in your 5th House of Creativity. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2026 Max tugs at my shirt for a water bottle. — Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 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 In addition to increasing access, Taba said, ferries can offer transit redundancy in emergencies — as the city saw on 9/11, when an armada of tugs, ferries and sightseeing boats evacuated people trapped on the southern tip of Manhattan after the terrorist attacks. — Julia Press, Bloomberg, 22 May 2026

Verb

The film cannily tugs on the heartstrings, pulls off classic slapstick comedy and sneaks obscure film references into its visuals. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 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 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

Io is repeatedly squeezed and stretched by Jupiter and the gravitational pulls of neighboring moons Europa and Ganymede.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
The exquisite scenery is also one of the show’s biggest pulls.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of pulls

Verb

In between being an attorney, single mom and caregiver, Jane (Mann) struggles to find any time for herself, and Coco (Buteau) is battling her own rage and resentment amid a divorce.

— Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
In the five months since McCollough’s death, her younger sister Colleen still struggles to wrap her mind around how drastically McCollough changed during her time with Watts.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggles

Verb

Some of those embassy staff may start returning to their posts soon, however the State Department is still limiting the number of personnel in the Middle East as the war in Iran drags on.

— Greg Dixon, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026
But after years of unprecedented contributions to astronomy, the forces governing the cosmos are finally taking their toll as Earth’s gravitational pull slowly drags the telescope closer towards a point of no return.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of drags

Noun

That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 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