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
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 May 2025
Piquant notes of ginger play tug of war with a sweet carbonated soft drink flavored with milk and yogurt in the Pickled Ginger.
—Kristin Braswell, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 May 2025
Sophie Dodd, People.com, 6 May 2025
Julius lands in Vegas and gets his heart tugged hard by scheming Henry (Calva), and those scenes are highly sensual.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Noun
Netflix has won out in a tug of war for Richard Linklater‘s Breathless homage Nouvelle Vague after its Cannes Film Festival debut in the competition.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 May 2025
Piquant notes of ginger play tug of war with a sweet carbonated soft drink flavored with milk and yogurt in the Pickled Ginger.
—Kristin Braswell, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 May 2025
Verb
The viewing party tugged at the heartstrings of their costars, who reacted in the comments section.
—Sophie Dodd, People.com, 6 May 2025
Julius lands in Vegas and gets his heart tugged hard by scheming Henry (Calva), and those scenes are highly sensual.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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How to Pick a Hardware Color If choosing colorful knobs and pulls, Stephenson says her first move is to eliminate disliked colors.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2025
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Considering their pull with the UFC and PFL, could a superfight even happen?—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The operation is massive: participants haul wagons and horses up to Nevada from all over California and coordinate nightly rest stops in shopping centers, ranches, even neighborhoods.—
Tina Li,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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The drop in foreign goods could mean fewer jobs at the warehouses that store them and the trucking companies that haul them around, wrote Michael Madowitz, an economist at the left-leaning Roosevelt Institute.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
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For example, prior to May, Tesla's Australia sales struggled amid reports of vandalism and protests related to Musk's work with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and support for far-right parties in Europe.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
4 June 2025
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Both players have struggled with runners in scoring position this season, but that wasn’t the case Tuesday.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Four yanks later, voila: Clayton had pulled free his prize, leaving just a single strand of nylon stuck in the Alamodome rim.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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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,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Over the Great Plains, the high-level flow of winds has been pushing the smoke south, and shifting upper-level winds from the west will drag the smoke over the eastern states, according to The Weather Channel.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
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The phone call between Trump and Putin came as the war, which has dragged on for nearly 3.5 years, shows no signs of abating despite mounting pressure for a diplomatic breakthrough.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Halfway through his first term, Johnson is laboring diligently to shore up his support among Black voters.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
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Supreme Court justice calls it 'ridiculous' Trump cuts reach climate scientists who labored for free Melina Khan is a trending reporter covering national news for USA TODAY.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
Noun
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But in politics — as in life —there’s a fine line between being genuine and being a jerk.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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Smoky, spicy jerk is also on the menu in the Pulled Jerk Pork & Coconut Shrimp appetizer at Eleanor’s at Sandals Grande Antigua.—
Sandals Resorts,
AFAR Media,
4 June 2025
Verb
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This leads them to strive to inspire others, creating a virtuous cycle that perpetually increases engagement, a sense of purpose, and more.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
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The album’s 11 tracks don’t strive to be confessional, just open.—
Janine Schaults,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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