tug
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to pull with force or effort.
to tug at a stuck drawer.
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to strive hard; labor; toil.
verb
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to pull or drag with sharp or powerful movements
the boy tugged at the door handle
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(tr) to tow (a vessel) by means of a tug
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(intr) to work; toil
noun
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a strong pull or jerk
he gave the rope a tug
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Also called: tugboat. towboat. a boat with a powerful engine, used for towing barges, ships, etc
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a hard struggle or fight
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a less common word for trace 2
Other Word Forms
- tugger noun
- tugless adjective
- untugged adjective
Etymology
Origin of tug
1175–1225; Middle English toggen to play-wrestle, contend; akin to Old English togian to tow 1
Explanation
To tug is to forcefully pull or drag something. You might need your sister's help to tug your knee-high boots off at the end of a long day. A child might tug at his parent's arm and a commuter might tug a rolling suitcase behind her as she enters a subway car. Something else that tugs is a tugboat — and tug is a common nickname for these boats that are designed to pull (or push) other vessels. Tug and tow share the same root word meaning "to pull" or "to lead."
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.
You can tug a player's shirt but no red!
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
He had already caught several, and a tug of resistance on the line hinted he would get another.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
“Basically, it’s a tug of war,” said Mike Treacy, head of market risk at Apex Fintech Solutions.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026
And, along the way, influence a geopolitical tug of war involving a huge U.S.-U.K. military base.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
He focused on the golden light, awaiting the familiar tug.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.