tug
1 of 3verb
ˈtəg 
tugged; tugging
intransitive verb
1
: to pull hard
2
: to struggle in opposition : contend
3
: to exert oneself laboriously : labor
transitive verb
1
: to pull or strain hard at
2
a
: to move by pulling hard : haul
b
: to carry with difficulty : lug
3
: to tow with a tugboat
tugger noun
tug
2 of 3noun
1
a
: an act or instance of tugging : pull
b
: a strong pulling force
2
a
: a straining effort
b
: a struggle between two people or opposite forces
3
: tugboat
4
a
: trace entry 3 sense 1
b
: a short leather strap or loop
c
: a rope or chain used for pulling
Tug
3 of 3abbreviation
tugrik, tugriks
Synonyms
Verb
- drag
- draw
- hale
- haul
- lug
- pull
- tow
Noun
- draw
- haul
- jerk
- pluck
- pull
- wrench
- yank
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb I felt someone tugging on my sleeve. She tugged the cord until the plug came out of the wall socket. Noun He felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. gave the man in front a tug on his shirtsleeve as a sign that he was supposed to step aside
Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 1 Feb. 2023 At the end of your outing, tug the end of the cord to loosen and remove your boot. —Déjà Leonard, Popular Mechanics, 19 Jan. 2023 To reveal the inner compartment, simply tug at either end of the case. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Dec. 2022 If Light and Merkerson’s portrayal of undying female friendship was able to tug at your heartstrings enough to worry about what comes next for Joyce and Irene, don’t fret too much about their future after being arrested for murder. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Feb. 2023 Quickly, a narrative begins to tug you along, one that lacks all of the markers that shaped the pandemic for most of us. —Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 21 Dec. 2022 Ugh, Nicholas Sparks really knows how to tug at our heartstrings. —Leah Campano, Seventeen, 14 Dec. 2022 Not all retirements are newsworthy, but this one is going to tug at thousands of North Texas hearts. —Dallas News, 15 July 2022 Every Maskc KN95 mask has an adjustable nose bridge for the most comfortable fit, a 5-ply breathable construction, and ear loops that don't rub or tug — no more headaches from that tight pulling sensation. —Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 10 Jan. 2023 Rozalynn S. Frazier, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2023 He, like millions of other Ukrainians, is caught in an economic tug of war. —Noah Robertson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Feb. 2023 In the video, labeled as a public service announcement, a university police officer and student holding one of the large banners engage in a mock tug of war and stare down over an ominous soundtrack. —Elliot Tritto, Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2022 The response included firefighting tug boats and aerial intervention, said Turkey’s transport minister, Adil Karaismailoğlu, in a tweet late Wednesday. —Benoit Faucon, WSJ, 9 Feb. 2023 The moon-Uranus duo will lock into a tough T-square (three-way tug of war) with boundary-hound Saturn in your twelfth house of sacrifice and a Sun-Mercury-Venus triad in Scorpio and your maximizing ninth house. —The Astrotwins, ELLE, 30 Nov. 2022 The Braemar Royal Highland Gathering features pipe bands, a tug-of-war, hill races and other shows of physical strength and athleticism. —Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2022 Watermelon eating, tug-of-war, human pyramid, and dodgeball. —WIRED, 22 Aug. 2022 For nearly 35 years, the tug of war over presidential records — and who controls them — has been a largely bureaucratic one waged in the halls of the National Archives and debated among lawyers in courtrooms. —Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2022 See More
Verb
If low-rise skirts aren't your thing, just tug up the waistline to a more comfortable sitting point. —Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 1 Feb. 2023 At the end of your outing, tug the end of the cord to loosen and remove your boot. —Déjà Leonard, Popular Mechanics, 19 Jan. 2023 To reveal the inner compartment, simply tug at either end of the case. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Dec. 2022 If Light and Merkerson’s portrayal of undying female friendship was able to tug at your heartstrings enough to worry about what comes next for Joyce and Irene, don’t fret too much about their future after being arrested for murder. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Feb. 2023 Quickly, a narrative begins to tug you along, one that lacks all of the markers that shaped the pandemic for most of us. —Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 21 Dec. 2022 Ugh, Nicholas Sparks really knows how to tug at our heartstrings. —Leah Campano, Seventeen, 14 Dec. 2022 Not all retirements are newsworthy, but this one is going to tug at thousands of North Texas hearts. —Dallas News, 15 July 2022 Every Maskc KN95 mask has an adjustable nose bridge for the most comfortable fit, a 5-ply breathable construction, and ear loops that don't rub or tug — no more headaches from that tight pulling sensation. —Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 10 Jan. 2023 Noun
The front zipper, which locks into place when the tab is facing down, not only offers an easy-on strategy, but also a quick release for anyone who has ever felt like they are engaged in tug of war while battling to get their sports bra off. —Rozalynn S. Frazier, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2023 He, like millions of other Ukrainians, is caught in an economic tug of war. —Noah Robertson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Feb. 2023 In the video, labeled as a public service announcement, a university police officer and student holding one of the large banners engage in a mock tug of war and stare down over an ominous soundtrack. —Elliot Tritto, Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2022 The response included firefighting tug boats and aerial intervention, said Turkey’s transport minister, Adil Karaismailoğlu, in a tweet late Wednesday. —Benoit Faucon, WSJ, 9 Feb. 2023 The moon-Uranus duo will lock into a tough T-square (three-way tug of war) with boundary-hound Saturn in your twelfth house of sacrifice and a Sun-Mercury-Venus triad in Scorpio and your maximizing ninth house. —The Astrotwins, ELLE, 30 Nov. 2022 The Braemar Royal Highland Gathering features pipe bands, a tug-of-war, hill races and other shows of physical strength and athleticism. —Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2022 Watermelon eating, tug-of-war, human pyramid, and dodgeball. —WIRED, 22 Aug. 2022 For nearly 35 years, the tug of war over presidential records — and who controls them — has been a largely bureaucratic one waged in the halls of the National Archives and debated among lawyers in courtrooms. —Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English tuggen; akin to Old English togian to pull — more at tow
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a
Phrases Containing tug
Kids Definition
tug
1 of 2 verb ˈtəg
tugged; tugging
1
a
: to pull hard
b
: to move by pulling hard : drag
2
: to tow with a tugboat
tugger noun
tug
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an act or instance of tugging : pull
b
: a strong pulling force
2
: a struggle between two people or forces
3
: tugboat
Medical Definition
tug
see tracheal tug
tugging
verb
1
as in pulling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on tugged on the door until it opened Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- pulling
- hauling
- dragging
- towing
- drawing
- yanking
- lugging
- jerking
- attracting
- heaving
- carrying
- haling
- moving
- conveying
- transporting
- ferrying
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pushing
- driving
- shoving
- thrusting
- propelling
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
- laboring
- struggling
- working
- striving
- trying
- humping
- sweating
- straining
- plowing
- toiling
- grubbing
- plugging
- hustling
- travailing
- drudging
- moiling
- fagging
- endeavoring
- slogging
- plodding
- slaving
- banging away
- exerting
- scratching
- sweating blood
- attacking
- digging (away)
- driving
- exercising
- pegging (away)
- wading
- beavering (away)
- trudging
- scrabbling
- overexerting
- digging in
- overworking
- pitching in
- essaying
- knuckling down
- eking out
- buckling (down)
- applying (oneself)
- hammering (away)
- putting out
- grinding (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- breaking
- slackening
- shirking
- easing (up)
- idling
- lounging
- resting
- hanging (around or out)
- bumming
- chilling
- hanging
- loafing
- unwinding
- dallying
- playing
- letting up
- lazing
- relaxing
- hacking (around)
- lolling
- slacking (off)
- goofing (off)
- reposing
- basking
- dabbling
- goldbricking
- dillydallying
- doodling
- trifling
- footling
- vegging out
- puttering (around)
- fooling around
- goofing (around)
- monkeying (around)
- hanging about
- pottering (around)
- fribbling
- messing around
