as in boxers
one that engages in the sport of fighting with the fists
a retired pug with battered ears and swollen knuckles
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pugs
Airport arrivals involved a motorcade, with a luggage van, a car for the pugs, and butlers, who escorted the dogs onto the waiting private jets.
—
Matt Tyrnauer, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
Valentino and his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti flitted among their homes — which also included places in New York, London, Rome, Capri and Gstaad, Switzerland — traveling with their pack of pugs.
—CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
And multiple servants in white gloves to tend to the pugs.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026
The largest groups of dog breeds entered into the competition include 149 golden retrievers, 143 dachshunds, 110 French bulldogs, 106 Chihuahuas, 105 Australian shepherds, 100 Labrador retrievers, 82 whippets, 65 Rhodesian ridgebacks, 60 Pomeranians, 58 Chinese cresteds, and 57 pugs.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Photography was not an unusual hobby for a young woman of her milieu, and many of Austen’s early images depict a world of genteel Victorian amusements—parties gathered on porches and scenic overlooks, happy pugs, sunny days in leg-of-mutton sleeves.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
French bulldogs, pugs, and other short-nosed dog breeds have had a grip on dog lovers for years now.
—Laura Baisas Aug 6, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2025
Matt Tyrnauer, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
Valentino and his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti flitted among their homes — which also included places in New York, London, Rome, Capri and Gstaad, Switzerland — traveling with their pack of pugs.
—CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
And multiple servants in white gloves to tend to the pugs.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026
The largest groups of dog breeds entered into the competition include 149 golden retrievers, 143 dachshunds, 110 French bulldogs, 106 Chihuahuas, 105 Australian shepherds, 100 Labrador retrievers, 82 whippets, 65 Rhodesian ridgebacks, 60 Pomeranians, 58 Chinese cresteds, and 57 pugs.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Photography was not an unusual hobby for a young woman of her milieu, and many of Austen’s early images depict a world of genteel Victorian amusements—parties gathered on porches and scenic overlooks, happy pugs, sunny days in leg-of-mutton sleeves.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
French bulldogs, pugs, and other short-nosed dog breeds have had a grip on dog lovers for years now.
—Laura Baisas Aug 6, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugs
Noun
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The singer thenducks beneath the sparring fists of boxers Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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That includes Los Angeles’ own Villa’s Tacos founder Victor Villa, as well as a real piragua (Puerto Rican shave ice dessert) vendor, boxers Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas, a real nail technician, barber and more.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There were dancing gladiators and moka pots, a phalanx of runway models dressed (in Armani) in green, white and red, to represent the Italian flag.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Reality contestants in novels should be gladiators fighting to the death.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The United Arab Emirates reportedly funded a camp in Ethiopia to train fighters of a Sudanese militia, a further sign of foreign powers stoking Sudan’s yearslong civil war.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Interim steps and broader modernization Until more B-21 bombers and F-47 fighters enter service, the study recommends several interim measures to maintain combat readiness.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugs. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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