tug
verb (used with object)
to pull at with force, vigor, or effort.
tugged
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past participleof tug.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof tug.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
tugverb (used with object)to pull at with force, vigor, or effort.
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.
Her mouth often pulls to the right when she speaks, her admirable non-native English tugged easterly in a Finnish accent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
But it is the crisis over Greenland that has really tugged at the fabric of the entire transatlantic alliance between the US and Europe.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026
"For astronomers, our go-to 'Doppler' method for weighing planets involves making careful measurements of the star's velocity as it's tugged by its retinue of planets." said Erik Petigura, a co-author from UCLA.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 31, 2026
Coaxed and tugged by rangers, a blindfolded giraffe totters into the specialised vehicle that will transport it away from an increasingly hostile environment to a new home in Kenya's eastern Rift Valley.
From Barron's ● Nov. 17, 2025
She allowed me to hold her for barely a moment before she took my hand and tugged.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
