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tug

/ˈtʌɡ/noun, verb1 syllable

Tug means: strive and make an effort to reach a goal.

Synonyms for tug11

noun, as in a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships

tugboat, towboat, tower

noun, as in a sudden abrupt pull

verb, as in strive and make an effort to reach a goal

labor, labour, push, drive, bear on

verb, as in carry with difficulty

lug, tote

What does tug mean?9

verb

1

strive and make an effort to reach a goal“She tugged for years to make a decent living”

2

carry with difficulty“You'll have to lug this suitcase”

3

pull hard“The prisoner tugged at the chains”

4

tow (a vessel) with a tug“The tugboat tugged the freighter into the harbor”

5

move by pulling hard“The horse finally tugged the cart out of the mud”

6

pull or strain hard at“Each oar was tugged by several men”

7

struggle in opposition“She tugged and wrestled with her conflicts”

noun

1

a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships

2

a sudden abrupt pull

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with tug?16

Show 40 near rhymes

Tug in a sentence

  • O you who tug at the rope, its end rests in my hands.Igider
  • The angler felt a strong tug on the line.orcrist
  • How do you train a dog not to tug on its leash?CK
  • She felt a gentle tug on her sleeve.megamanenm
  • There's an ideal tug-of-war between us.Nuel
  • Ziri enjoyed the playful tug of the breeze at his cloak.always
  • This budget meeting turned into a tug-of-war.rul
  • Participants in the tug-of-war strain with all their might.AlanF_US

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of tug

as a noun

plural
tugs

as a verb

past tense
tugged
present participle
tugging
third-person singular
tugs
past participle
tugged