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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tug
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
The tug will then fire its engines, pushing the ISS even lower, to 150 kilometers (93 miles).
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The retractable gel formula of L'Oréal Paris's Infallible Grip boasts a super-slim tip, ensuring an easy glide along your eyes without any skipping or tugging.
—Siena Gagliano, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Noun
On Saturday, an airport worker was critically injured after a passenger plane hit a tug at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
—Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
The tug will then fire its engines, pushing the ISS even lower, to 150 kilometers (93 miles).
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
The contraption—as much pendulum as plane—reared and dipped as its pilot, a Tyrolian biologist in an olive-drab flight suit and amber shooting glasses, tugged on the steering levers.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The retractable gel formula of L'Oréal Paris's Infallible Grip boasts a super-slim tip, ensuring an easy glide along your eyes without any skipping or tugging.
—Siena Gagliano, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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According to the team, the gravitational pull of our solar system's planets and passing stars do not have much of an effect on the Oort Cloud.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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Rapidly growing art and tech scenes have added to the gravitational pull of Los Angeles and its warm weather, beaches, and many cosmopolitan delights in the Pacific time zone.—
Chloe Arrojado,
AFAR Media,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The second principle—and this is doubly important for us outdoor enthusiasts—is understanding that maintenance schedules are based on normal driving cycles, and not heavy use activities like towing, hauling a heavy camper around, or driving off-road.—
Wes Siler,
Outside Online,
2 Mar. 2025
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Eris is designed to haul payloads of up to 672 pounds (305 kilograms) to low-Earth orbit, and will launch from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Queensland on Australia's northeastern coast.—
Stephen Clark,
Ars Technica,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Courtney Eaton is still struggling to accept Lottie’s fate while playing the character’s teen counterpart in the ’90s wilderness.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2025
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Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman,wife Betsy Arakawa, found dead in their home Gene Hackman's health struggles: What is angina?—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The resulting specs: 434 ponies and 525 lb-ft of yank.—
Sean Evans,
Robb Report,
30 Oct. 2024
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With tugs and yanks and positive feedback, a planetary makeover began that is rampant today.—
Stephen Pyne,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2024
Verb
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The most illuminated of them, hatless and dragging, is followed by a marginally more active figure, the only one to acknowledge the viewer’s presence.—
Sarah C. Schaefer,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
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But the 2013 peace process soon collapsed as tensions reignited, dragging Turkey and the PKK back into a bloody war and ending a two-year ceasefire.—
Eyad Kourdi,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Ultimately, this post-neoliberal ideology and its adherents did not take tradeoffs seriously enough, laboring under an illusion that previous policymakers were too beholden to economic orthodoxy to make real progress for people.—
Jason Furman,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2025
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Employees who labored long hours on a dairy farm were disappointed on payday when their checks showed no overtime pay and was missing compensation for regular hours worked, Minnesota police said.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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On that note…being concise doesn’t mean being a total jerk either.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2025
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Rockwell's Officer Dixon, a mama’s boy with a screw loose and a history of torturing Black prisoners, is a target of her ire − that is, until the actor carefully adds layers to what could be a one-note jerk. 14.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Rogers cared deeply about the children his show touched, striving to spread kindness and make the world a better place.—
Makena Gera,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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If errors are made, they will be flagged and corrected as needed, while striving to do what's best for the American people.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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