1
as in pulling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
tugged on the door until it opened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laboring
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 tugging
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
Playing the title role of a linguistics professor who faces changes and prepares her family for what's to come as the disease takes hold, Moore navigates the character arc with honesty and heart-tugging empathy.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
On Friday, the Euphoria stargave fans a glimpse of her ideal cozy date night, tugging down her plunging burgundy bralette while snapping photos on her laptop from her bed.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Creams and balms melt into skin without tugging, while newer powder formulas are silky enough to avoid that chalky, flat look.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
In Barcelona, Cindy was alert enough to ward off a would-be thief tugging on her tote bag.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
When Otegbayo became the second player dismissed, this time on 90 minutes for a second caution after tugging back Tyrese Campbell, the game was up.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Favorite moment of Games The Olympics are full of heart-tugging moments but none were better than Elana Meyers Taylor standing on the podium after winning the gold medal in women’s monobob.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, another hoax is tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Playing the title role of a linguistics professor who faces changes and prepares her family for what's to come as the disease takes hold, Moore navigates the character arc with honesty and heart-tugging empathy.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
On Friday, the Euphoria stargave fans a glimpse of her ideal cozy date night, tugging down her plunging burgundy bralette while snapping photos on her laptop from her bed.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Creams and balms melt into skin without tugging, while newer powder formulas are silky enough to avoid that chalky, flat look.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
In Barcelona, Cindy was alert enough to ward off a would-be thief tugging on her tote bag.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
When Otegbayo became the second player dismissed, this time on 90 minutes for a second caution after tugging back Tyrese Campbell, the game was up.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Favorite moment of Games The Olympics are full of heart-tugging moments but none were better than Elana Meyers Taylor standing on the podium after winning the gold medal in women’s monobob.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, another hoax is tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugging
Verb
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Johnson then raised both arms above her head to acknowledge the roaring, standing crowd before pulling her jersey up over her face to wipe her eyes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
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The study demonstrates that researchers can achieve unprecedented control over material kinks using sound, even if only by pulling them.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Montiel, 62, said Chavez’s legacy continues to reverberate as the union has pushed for improved working conditions for people laboring in extreme heat, at times without adequate breaks or water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Doyley, who felt comfortable with her odds and wanted to continue laboring, argued during the hearing that C-sections carry their own dangers — including a risk of death.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials hauling a mother bear to their vehicle after it was tranquilized and captured in Monrovia on Sunday afternoon.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Governments across the continent are struggling with stubborn insurgencies.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Sunday was a busy day at Logan Airport as TSA agents continue to work without pay during the partial government shutdown, though waits remained lower than many struggling with long lines around the country.—
Paul Burton,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With negotiations dragging, hundreds of TSA agents have quit during the partial shutdown and thousands of others have called out of work.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside Hezbollah, and dragging the country into another war with Israel.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Through the Daodejing, one of the central texts of Daoism, Laozi offers perspectives from a tumultuous period of status-striving in Chinese history – and shifts our focus from comparison and competition to contentment.—
Stephen Chen,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
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Being imaginative and continually striving to improve your craft are two things that are difficult to teach, and both are areas in which Arieonni excels.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since then, space access has become less of a contest, with hundreds of countries working together, said Geoff Notkin, former president of the National Space Society, a space advocacy nonprofit.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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That includes donations from the labor union for air traffic controllers, whose jobs are not impacted by this partial shutdown but who understand the strain of working without pay from full government closures.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police officials said Abril took the couple hostage during the standoff after a shootout with CHP investigators trying to serve a search warrant at the park.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Simplifying remote access for users with a wide range of tech savvy (or for those stuck in BIOS or trying to troubleshoot) can speed up support and maybe even prevent the need to send a machine in the mail for servicing.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugging. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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