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
William Harwood, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025
The gravitational tug of neighboring galaxies compresses gas within a galaxy, triggering star formation.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Miguel Otárola, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
Without their alternate selves to tug at them, these characters would be dull, dull, dull.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Noun
Even so, Wilmore and Williams will face extensive rehabilitation over the next several weeks and months as their bodies re-adapt to the unfamiliar tug of gravity.
Hague and Gorbunov, who spent spent 171 days in space, will re-adapt more quickly, perhaps, but both will require physical therapy.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025
The gravitational tug of neighboring galaxies compresses gas within a galaxy, triggering star formation.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
Driving in rush hour, running errands, cooking dinner, entertaining guests, all of these activities become far more tolerable when listening to uninterrupted music that tugs at your inner urges to let loose.
—Miguel Otárola, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
Without their alternate selves to tug at them, these characters would be dull, dull, dull.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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Activities include a champagne reception with a variety of games where everyone wins a prize for their donation (for example, a $25 chance at the prize wheel will win the donor a $25 gift certificate) and a wine pull.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
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Containing around 400 powerful volcanoes, Io is influenced by Jupiter’s gravitational pull and the pull of the planet’s other moons.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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On Sunday, Teichert Construction, based in Sacramento, began using trucks, front loaders and other equipment to start hauling away the main pile blocking both lanes.—
Paul Rogers,
The Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
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While consensus across Europe is difficult to achieve, several countries have made concerted efforts to haul up their own defense budgets.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Royals struggled to pick up his sweeper and slider combination.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
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The 25-year-old struggled to impact the game and there was a disconnect between her and Clinton, her United team-mate.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 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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The average is dragged lower by the three most recent economic contractions, which were all atypical.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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How to Train Your Dragon is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 13, 2025, so the wait won’t drag on for too long.—
Michael Savio,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With many left homeless by the quake, and many others staying away from their homes because of fears that ongoing aftershocks will bring them down, workers in Naypyidaw labored in the 104 F heat to busily erect big tents in open fields to provide some shelter.—
David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2025
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The glorious future of the nation depends on everyone laboring at a fast pace, with no time to slow down and question what’s happening.—
Charlie Tyson,
The New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Dig in: The meal is $75 and includes dishes like jerk chicken with rice and peas and coconut collard greens, cow heel soup and crawfish hushpuppies.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Axios,
24 Mar. 2025
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The Lion’s Tail is a transitional drink that tastes like if a Jamaican jerk chicken and a Whiskey Sour couldn’t keep their hands off each other.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Grand Slams have certainly increased their compensation as each strives to make their experience bigger and better.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Passionate about Jewish education and social justice, Olga strives to connect individuals and communities with opportunities to make a difference and support the sustainability of Jewish nonprofits.—
Olga & Igor Alterman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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