1
as in pulling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
tugged on the door until it opened
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laboring
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 tugging
Jude, meanwhile, was shifting from tossing cones to tugging at his ears, afflicted with the same malady that had landed several of the toddlers on the room’s version of the injury list.
—
ABC News,
30 June 2026
These ergonomic neoprene handle wraps provide additional cushioning around the handles of your carry-on or checked suitcase, a dream for tired, achy hands after a day of tugging luggage.
—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
24 June 2026
But the combatants kept grasping and tugging each other off-balance.
—
Bob Brody,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
He is seen in the video grabbing and tugging on her to prevent her from leaving.
—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
20 June 2026
Vinicus followed up his stunning early strike with a series of nagging runs, tugging the Panamanians’ back line into awkward shapes.
—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Jupiter's moons are in a chain of orbital resonances that could only have formed by the moons tugging gently on each other in passing over a long period of time, and crater records also suggest that Jupiter's moons are very, very old.
—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
But that can’t account for comparable rises in nations that haven’t adopted such policies; average maternal age has also risen in countries around the world without tugging up gestational diabetes in the same way.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
To harvest, use pruning shears, scissors, or a knife to cut cucumbers from the vine, rather than pulling them off, as tugging can harm the plant.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
ABC News,
30 June 2026
These ergonomic neoprene handle wraps provide additional cushioning around the handles of your carry-on or checked suitcase, a dream for tired, achy hands after a day of tugging luggage.
—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
24 June 2026
But the combatants kept grasping and tugging each other off-balance.
—
Bob Brody,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
He is seen in the video grabbing and tugging on her to prevent her from leaving.
—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
20 June 2026
Vinicus followed up his stunning early strike with a series of nagging runs, tugging the Panamanians’ back line into awkward shapes.
—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Jupiter's moons are in a chain of orbital resonances that could only have formed by the moons tugging gently on each other in passing over a long period of time, and crater records also suggest that Jupiter's moons are very, very old.
—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
But that can’t account for comparable rises in nations that haven’t adopted such policies; average maternal age has also risen in countries around the world without tugging up gestational diabetes in the same way.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
To harvest, use pruning shears, scissors, or a knife to cut cucumbers from the vine, rather than pulling them off, as tugging can harm the plant.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugging
Verb
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Workers were dispatched throughout La Guaira and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent the last few days pulling survivors and bodies from the wreckage despite a lack of heavy equipment and limited guidance from authorities.
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Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
Verb
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The infant had been trapped for almost three days; a team of rescuers from Fairfax, Virginia, had been laboring to reach the boy, who was nine months old, for at least six hours.
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In the days since posting the news, Mitchell has continued to update her followers about the aftermath and the start of the healing process, including videos of herself laboring.
Verb
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Rotating the pot a bit to encourage even growth is fine; hauling your ficus all over the house is not.
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Since its launch, the company has diversified into logistics, fuel delivery, and transport, including hauling containers from Cuban ports to different provinces.
Verb
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Trump taking the country to war with Iran, in part at the urging of his pal Bibi — without any sensible plan, debate, sanction from Congress or consideration as to how this might hurt Americans already struggling to make ends meet.
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The rules were altered in 2004 at the urging of Algeria, which was struggling to field a competitive national team with wholly domestic players and saw dozens of better prospects from the diaspora living in France.
Verb
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Compounding concerns, California officials say the Department of Transportation is dragging its feet.
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One small habit that has helped me tremendously is dragging important emails directly into my calendar.
Verb
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For some, chalance has become bigger than just dating, with people striving to bring more enthusiasm and feeling into all areas of their lives, too.
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Move from striving to stillness.
Verb
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The government is also working with private developers, banks and the real estate sector to accelerate temporary and permanent housing solutions.
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In soccer, the line between a yellow and a red card can be subjective, depending on the referee working the game that day and his or her interpretation of the play.
Verb
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Brownell is trying Lynkuet, a non-hormonal drug to help with hot flashes and night sweats.
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Brennan, though, throws the first wrench into the works by instead trying to establish his credibility.
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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