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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of tug
Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic, which won the Academy Award for visual effects and spawned an enduring franchise, turns the commercial towing vessel Nostromo — essentially a tug-hauling cargo ship — into something claustrophobic and unforgiving.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The easy-to-use roller design features a cooling metal applicator that gently glides across the neck's contours, massaging the lightweight formula into skin without pulling or tugging skin.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug
Noun
The ship is moved in, slowly and carefully; tugs help, and so does the shipyard crew.
—Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic, which won the Academy Award for visual effects and spawned an enduring franchise, turns the commercial towing vessel Nostromo — essentially a tug-hauling cargo ship — into something claustrophobic and unforgiving.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
The officer grabbed Lugo, with Barkley tugging at Lugo’s arm.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The easy-to-use roller design features a cooling metal applicator that gently glides across the neck's contours, massaging the lightweight formula into skin without pulling or tugging skin.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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The crop’s pull extends to the highest levels of national politics — presidential hopefuls have made a point of visiting Meru to publicly declare their support for the trade, with pledges to open new markets, defend growers, and confront foreign bans.—
Joseph Maina,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Events include the keg toss, car deadlift, harness pull, atlas stones, log clean and press and Viking press.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The barge was hauling concrete debris to an empty lot on Di Lido Island in Miami Beach across the bay.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Tankers hauling oil have been stuck in the Strait, impacting not only American gas prices, but energy prices around the world.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps those June friendlies in Florida will give him one more chance to experiment, but the simple reality is that any Kane-less plan will struggle to get off the ground.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The waiver was established by the TEA to provide additional flexibility to go out of state to find qualified leaders to right the ships of struggling districts.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, daikon and shiitake mushroom yank pot roast into new territory.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Effectively, this turned the workspace into a yank buffer along with all your documents, and undoing any destructive editing operation thus became merely another cut and paste.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That said, its opposition to severe Pluto presses against your dependable 6th house, potentially dragging you away from rest.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The Transportation Security Administration may have to shut down operations at some airports if the budget impasse drags on, the agency’s acting head said yesterday, even as record wait times for travelers did little to end the standoff over the funding fight in Congress.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lamarck surely labored over these Romantic effusions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Texas starter Dylan Volantis labored through a long first inning, but a pop-out to catcher Carson Tinney stranded two runners on base.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Dishes like jerk chicken and rice and beans cooked in coconut milk reflect the region’s deep Jamaican and British colonial influences that are distinctive from other parts of Costa Rica.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
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Highlights include crab cakes, Napoleon, jerk chicken and waffles, lobster rolls, Florida Croque Madame, oxtail pasta, coquito French toast, tiramisu and more.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The company strives to be a good neighbor and is mindful of the importance of ensuring residents have clear and safe access in and out of their homes throughout the day.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Alejandra Flores, the school Wellness Space support specialist, said the district strives to support mental health and provides wellness resources for the community, including students, staff and parents.—
Abigail Min,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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