tug

[ tuhg ]

/ tʌg /

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See synonyms for: tug / tugged / tugging on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), tugged, tug·ging.

to pull at with force, vigor, or effort.

to move by pulling forcibly; drag; haul.

to tow (a vessel) by means of a tugboat.

verb (used without object), tugged, tug·ging.

to pull with force or effort: to tug at a stuck drawer.

to strive hard; labor; toil.

noun

an act or instance of tugging; pull; haul.

a strenuous contest between opposing forces, groups, or persons; struggle: the tug of young minds in a seminar.

tugboat.

that by which something is tugged, as a rope or chain.

(on a harness)

trace² (def. 1).
any of various supporting or pulling parts.

OTHER WORDS FOR tug

1 yank, jerk, wrench.

See synonyms for tug on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of tug

1175–1225; Middle English toggen to play-wrestle, contend; akin to Old English togian to tow¹

OTHER WORDS FROM tug

tugger, nountugless, adjectiveun·tugged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tug in a sentence

Our exoplanet-searching techniques look for the effect of planets on their host star, either through a cyclical gravitational tug, or by periodically blinking out some of the star’s light.
We’re the Cosmic 1 Percent But Our Solar System Isn’t a Complete Weirdo - Facts So Romantic|Sean Raymond|January 5, 2021|Nautilus
Even if containers weren’t fully unloaded, the tug would move forward, witnesses told TOSHA.
A Temp Worker Died on the Job After FedEx Didn’t Fix a Known Hazard. The Fine: $7,000.|by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism|December 23, 2020|ProPublica
Like Stanberry, his job was to unload packages from shipping containers pulled by motorized tugs.
A Temp Worker Died on the Job After FedEx Didn’t Fix a Known Hazard. The Fine: $7,000.|by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism|December 23, 2020|ProPublica
To remove the byssus, grasp it with your thumb and forefinger or between your thumb and the blade of a paring knife and give a sharp tug toward the hinged end of the shell.
Mussels are simple to prepare, and add tasty drama to the table|Martha Holmberg|October 29, 2020|Washington Post

For all of the tumult we’ve seen since, his approval ratings have barely budged, caught a bit below-center in a tug-of-war between two incredibly strong forces.
Five falsehoods spurring Republican concern about the election|Philip Bump|October 15, 2020|Washington Post
She tugged on the black rope that wrapped around his thighs and torso, her leather gloves creaking with each adjustment.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As I was coming out, my sister [Valerie] tugged on me and said, ‘That’s the boy who kicked me off my bicycle.
Joe Biden: ‘I’ll Kill Your Son’|Olivia Nuzzi|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ted tugged at the brass buttons of her red, wool-crepe dress.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The handcuffs required her to reach with both hands as she tugged up the left leg of her stockings.
‘Bomb Mom’ Morgan Gliedman Arraigned in Manhattan Court|Michael Daly|January 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He repeatedly tugged at the waist of his baggy pants to keep them up.
Sandusky Sentenced to 30 to 60 Years: Inside the Courtroom|Diane Dimond|October 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He reached far down into a trousers pocket and tugged to the light of day a roll that his fingers could not encircle.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
Two more followed—one that tugged at the Black Hood's cape, a second that shot out the light in the room.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
So they fastened “belt-claws” to their stout girdles and tugged the bow strings into place with their back and leg muscles.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
The Schree holding Holaf's arms let go, tugged a weapon from his belt, struck Holaf over the head with it.
Valley of the Croen|Lee Tarbell
Their limbs were truly skeletal, and curiously I tugged the white robe from the strange insect body as I followed the prince.
Valley of the Croen|Lee Tarbell

British Dictionary definitions for tug

tug

/ (tʌɡ) /

verb tugs, tugging or tugged

(when intr, sometimes foll by at) to pull or drag with sharp or powerful movementsthe boy tugged at the door handle

(tr) to tow (a vessel) by means of a tug

(intr) to work; toil

noun

a strong pull or jerkhe gave the rope a tug

Also called: tugboat, towboat a boat with a powerful engine, used for towing barges, ships, etc

a hard struggle or fight

a less common word for trace 2 (def. 1)

Derived forms of tug

tugger, noun

Word Origin for tug

C13: related to Old English tēon to tow 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012