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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tugs
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
The ship is moved in, slowly and carefully; tugs help, and so does the shipyard crew.
—Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
If a public request tugs at private feelings, pause to check your boundaries, then accept only what supports family rhythms and true priorities.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
And gear that hugs and tugs in all the wrong places doesn’t whisper.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
Erikson, who was influenced by Freud, conceptualized eight life stages as tugs of war between opposing forces.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
Despite Suárez’s tugs at Messi’s arm, though, Messi disappears through the door.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
As part of its support service to the Royal Navy, Serco intends to purchase 24 vessels, including a mix of ASD tugs, reverse-stern-drive tugs, pilot boats, barges, and crane barges, for which the contract was awarded to Dutch defence manufacturer Damen.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
These motorcycles were so well-built that they were even employed in both World Wars, mainly as dispatch bikes and sidecar tugs for the British armed forces.
—New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2025
Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026
The pacing slackens a little as the complicated process inches forward, but the ending tugs the heartstrings in enormously satisfying ways.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Riley tugs the false eyelashes off.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
This book tugs at all the heartstrings.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 Dec. 2025
The idea of moving to America constantly tugs at rising singer-songwriter Larissa Lambert.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Campaign Evolved is a safe bet in an increasingly unstable market that tugs on the heartstrings of veteran fans while pulling in a whole new community of potential PlayStation players conveniently in time for its big anniversary.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
On Earth, the result is the changing ocean tides as our moon tugs at the water.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
Scheduling tugs, fuel barges, crane operators, drayage trucks and drivers is complex indeed.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
The ship is moved in, slowly and carefully; tugs help, and so does the shipyard crew.
—Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
If a public request tugs at private feelings, pause to check your boundaries, then accept only what supports family rhythms and true priorities.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
And gear that hugs and tugs in all the wrong places doesn’t whisper.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
Erikson, who was influenced by Freud, conceptualized eight life stages as tugs of war between opposing forces.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
Despite Suárez’s tugs at Messi’s arm, though, Messi disappears through the door.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
As part of its support service to the Royal Navy, Serco intends to purchase 24 vessels, including a mix of ASD tugs, reverse-stern-drive tugs, pilot boats, barges, and crane barges, for which the contract was awarded to Dutch defence manufacturer Damen.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
These motorcycles were so well-built that they were even employed in both World Wars, mainly as dispatch bikes and sidecar tugs for the British armed forces.
—New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2025
Verb
The moody Moon tugs at vigorous Mars, resulting in a square that puts pressure on your wary 8th house and your typically more light-hearted 5th house.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2026
The pacing slackens a little as the complicated process inches forward, but the ending tugs the heartstrings in enormously satisfying ways.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Riley tugs the false eyelashes off.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
This book tugs at all the heartstrings.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 Dec. 2025
The idea of moving to America constantly tugs at rising singer-songwriter Larissa Lambert.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Campaign Evolved is a safe bet in an increasingly unstable market that tugs on the heartstrings of veteran fans while pulling in a whole new community of potential PlayStation players conveniently in time for its big anniversary.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
On Earth, the result is the changing ocean tides as our moon tugs at the water.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugs
Noun
-
Emotional rug-pulls arrive in the form of happy surprises that stretch the third act too long and test the limits of our disbelief.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Emotional rug-pulls arrive in the form of happy surprises that stretch the third act too long and test the limits of our disbelief.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If your truck regularly hauls gravel, dirt, or furniture, the drawers eat up a lot of bed volume.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
20 Mar. 2026
-
One officer enters the water to tie a flotation device to Cruz before the pair hauls him out of the murky water and onto a paddleboard.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Most important for companies considering replacing patches of their workforce with AI, the MIT data suggests AI struggles to perform more complicated tasks.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Peet plays a therapist who struggles with her own mental health and the health and familial changes that occur during midlife.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the war drags on, Americans are growing pessimistic about the economy, according to some surveys and polls.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
-
And in late February, just as attention began to shift away from Gaza, Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran—a potentially epochal war that may end up dividing Jewish Americans no less than the Gaza war did, particularly if the conflict drags on and casualties mount.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus, bio-hacked tech bros, AI labs and disillusioned teens being optimized in elite private schools, an audacious data-mining CEO (Magnussen) strives to turn insight and influence into profit and power.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Castlery is a direct-to-consumer furniture brand that strives to offer high-end and well-made yet fairly affordable furniture, and the Desmond chair is a testament to that.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the new sequel, Grace teams with her estranged younger sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), as they’re hunted by four elite families full of murderous jerks scrambling to become the High Seat of a Council that controls the world.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Smarmy jerks can get obscenely wealthy in this country just by managing other people’s money.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The groove between these serves as an at-the-ready bottle opener, and within the frame are hex wrenches for 2-mm and 5-mm bolts.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Eight days after panels were removed by National Park Service staff using crowbars and wrenches, dozens of people packed a federal courtroom to hear arguments from the city of Philadelphia and the federal government.—
Liz Crawford,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugs. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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