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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of tug
Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
The tugs will deliver the ship to the docks of Modern American Recycling Services – MARS – a company that specializes in vessel salvage and other marine operations.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Nov. 2024
Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024
The raw excitement pouring out of Davis-Woodhall after her win and her instant desire to share it with her partner tugged at a whole lotta heartstrings.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug 
Noun
The big planets can shift Earth’s orbit slightly, and how our planet reacts to this interplanetary tug can set new temperature patterns in motion.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
The tugs will deliver the ship to the docks of Modern American Recycling Services – MARS – a company that specializes in vessel salvage and other marine operations.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
With impressively integrated technology, the musical makes clever use of time and space, tugging at our heartstrings with ease and lulling us along with its dulcet tones.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024
The raw excitement pouring out of Davis-Woodhall after her win and her instant desire to share it with her partner tugged at a whole lotta heartstrings.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tug
Noun
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Apart from its versatility, the librarian cut's real pull comes down to its individuality and making a feature of the heft a cowlick offers.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
25 Jan. 2025
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As Mintel points out, nostalgia adds an extra layer of emotional pull.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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He’s hauled out of bed to go hunting with his hard-ass, militaristic father Grady (Sam Jaeger), whose bellowing about trying to keep his son safe is almost as frightening as the growling beast that appears to be stalking them.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Jan. 2025
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There is also a hope to haul director Tim Miller, who helmed the first Deadpool movie and was reported to have had friction with Reynolds, into the ever-expanding Lively vs Baldoni saga.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Even under better times, Haiti has struggled to pull off elections.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
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Kansas City’s defense has struggled to stop quarterback runs.—
Sam Farmer,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 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 project, known as Stargate, dragged the OpenAI chief into a new feud with his A.I. archnemesis, Elon Musk, and caused friction with an important ally, Microsoft.—
Andrew Ross Sorkin,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
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The deputies dragged Payne across the floor, according to the complaint.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There are no heroes here, just Kidman fully immersing herself in a character for whom every action is an attack, for whom every word is a wheeze, and for whom every movement looks labored.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
3 Jan. 2025
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It’s been almost a calendar year since the Sixers have seen that Embiid, the one who’s active on both ends of the floor, instead of laboring up and down.—
Tony Jones,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Symptoms include: Hallucinations or delusions Increased heart rate Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea Dizziness Muscle jerks Sweating or flushing Seizures Effexor is not approved for children but is sometimes used off-label for anxiety and depression disorders.—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
17 Jan. 2025
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Among the new food items on sale during the Seven Seas Food Festival will be Jamaican jerk chicken and pork pincho at the Caribbean Market; garlic toast chicken parmigiana (Italian Market), strawberry pouffe (Irish Market) and veggie samosas (Indian market).—
Dewayne Bevil,
Orlando Sentinel,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The streamer has spent years striving for the Best Picture title, only to narrowly miss out again and again.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2025
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Film dramaturgy, on the other hand, strives for a kind of purity and clarity.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tug
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tug. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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