as in pull
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 to struggle
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 tug
CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Nanny Aimee -- our second in command -- was moving through the far corners of the house, waking up each of the littles, kissing sleepy eyelids, tugging my two toddlers gently forward into the day.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug
Noun
The oldest served in Alaska on the USCGC Alex Haley in the Bering Sea and is pursuing a career as a tug boat operator in Galveston.
—CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
The immediacy of svn4vr’s arrangements always tugs the heartstrings.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Nanny Aimee -- our second in command -- was moving through the far corners of the house, waking up each of the littles, kissing sleepy eyelids, tugging my two toddlers gently forward into the day.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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The large question now is whether a more corporate style of management at Movistar Plus+ in Spain will entail a pull back in film and TV investment, especially in top-flight artistically ambitious film/TV directors who have taken Movistar Plus+ onto the international stage.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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They are drawn in by the possibility of an exciting pull—similar to how a bettor might be enticed by a long-shot parlay translating to big winnings.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The new law, which took effect in October, requires tow truck companies to give owners notice before hauling away a car for minor issues like failing to display an apartment complex’s parking permit or parking in the wrong space.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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The new law, which took effect in October, requires tow truck companies to give owners notice before hauling away a car for minor issues like failing to display an apartment complex’s parking permit or parking in the wrong space.—
Ginny Monk,
ProPublica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The contestants struggled mighty hard with the songs.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
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Pornographic deepfake images of her have circulated online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and antiabuse groups have struggled to fix.—
Maria Sherman,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Each blade has a pull tab at the top of its cartridge; just give it a gentle yank to remove it.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2026
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Soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, daikon and shiitake mushroom yank pot roast into new territory.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the Iran war drags on, concerns over rising gas prices and other costs have ballooned, sending consumer sentiment plummeting.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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But now, in a last-ditch attempt to save the whale, a team has loaded Timmy onto a specialized barge to essentially drag it to the North Sea.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Ray had to labor through the first three innings, the left-hander only needed 12 pitches in the fourth and 11 pitches in the fifth to complete five frames.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Trump poses as a pro-worker force, but his policies are atrocious for the laboring class.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
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The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Tampa Bay Rays are still striving for a Hillsborough County stadium vote in May, the team informed the county late last week.—
Nicolas Villamil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
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Add in Michael’s goth love interest, Star (Maria Wirries), and the musical strives to capture some of the cult appeal of the source musical, the plot of which David Hornsby and Chris Hoch’s book follows closely with one notable change.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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