tugged; tugging
1
: to pull or strain hard at
3
: to tow with a tugboat
tugger
noun
tugrik, tugriks
Synonyms
Examples of tug in a Sentence
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
Hunter Lacey, Allure, 3 July 2024
With heroes including a deaf football coach who needs to step up to support his students, a Kiss superfan committed to caring for his brother, and a former nun looking for love, there's plenty to tug at the heart strings.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 22 June 2024
Anumita Kaur, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
On Thursday, July 4, families start gathering at Green Valley Park for a full slate of lawn and water games that begin at 1 p.m. There will be tug of war, cornhole, Connect 4, slip-and-slides and other water games.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug 
Verb
The greatest challenge following a laser hair removal appointment is the urge to tug at the dead hairs, still attached to the follicle but lying limp and ripe for the plucking.
—Hunter Lacey, Allure, 3 July 2024
With heroes including a deaf football coach who needs to step up to support his students, a Kiss superfan committed to caring for his brother, and a former nun looking for love, there's plenty to tug at the heart strings.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 22 June 2024
Noun
There’s a chance, however, that a dip in the jet stream over the Central States enacts a bit of a tug northward.
—Anumita Kaur, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
On Thursday, July 4, families start gathering at Green Valley Park for a full slate of lawn and water games that begin at 1 p.m. There will be tug of war, cornhole, Connect 4, slip-and-slides and other water games.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tug
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tug
Cite this Entry
“Tug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tug. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share