tug
verb (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.
So it tugs at my heartstrings to read about New Yorkers having to surrender their cats and dogs to shelters out of financial distress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
You’re doing fine, but something tugs at you from deep within.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 7, 2026
“Still, it is the roaring thing that tugs away from the very shores we clutch. There is no better compass than this compassion.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2025
It found the pilot had not worked with tugs like Biter before and "did not understand" what the tug would be doing on the manoeuvre.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2024
Improbably, for the first time this week and maybe for the first time since I’ve been home from France, a giggle tugs at my lips.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
