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
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Recent Examples of tugs
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
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
-
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
-
In recent decades, as China has laid down vast networks of high-speed rail and thrown up shimmering cities, Americans have developed a deepening sense that their own country struggles to get things done.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
He was sacked six times by a team that struggles to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Need to know Nvidia probe drags on.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Cole Palmer intelligently pulls wide and drags Jones with him, leaving a notable distance between Jones and Gravenberch in the middle.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite the glitz and glam of her showbiz career, Sweeney strives to keep her feet on the ground amid her growing It Girl status.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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An assertive Iran has been especially a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia, which strives to be the dominant Muslim majority power in the region.—
David Mednicoff,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Technology works, but scaling it to a level that meaningfully impacts global emissions is an entirely different challenge.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Otherwise, the oil works as a specialized scalp treatment, too, or to provide nourishment during protective styling.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The movie, which is set to hit theaters December 19, is based on the bestselling novel by Freida McFadden and centers on Millie (Sweeney), who tries to escape her past by accepting a job as a live-in housemaid for wealthy couple Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar).—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
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Wind chimes and similar elements were used to create a sound for the magical barrier known as the honmoon, the global harmony that Huntrix tries to achieve.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugs. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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