tug
verb (used with object)
to pull at with force, vigor, or effort.
are tugging
-
present progressiveof tug.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Other components of the economy are tugging on the consumer,” said Ivan Drury, an automotive analyst for the car-shopping website Edmunds.com.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
Sometimes I see it as a tug-of-war where people are tugging in one way and, you know, for a few years it’s this, and then we’re tugging in the other way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2023
Photos of a labradoodle being carried up the mountain in a wheelbarrow by its owner for one last walk are tugging at heartstrings all over the internet.
From Fox News ● Jul. 8, 2021
I want to focus on two investment strategies that are tugging on affluent investors, offering different risks and returns.
From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2019
Imagine that you are tugging up a lifeboat out of the sea.
From All Things Considered by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton
