How to Use tug in a Sentence

tug

1 of 2 verb
  • She tugged the cord until the plug came out of the wall socket.
  • I felt someone tugging on my sleeve.
  • Little kids tug at sleeves and ask when.
    — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 8 Mar. 2026
  • This book tugs at all the heartstrings.
    — Charlotte Observer, 15 Dec. 2025
  • His young daughter tugged at him.
    — Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • Baseball still tugged at his heart.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Let’s keep tugging on this thread.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
  • Garrett, though, wasn’t called up to tug at the heart strings.
    — Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2022
  • Gently tug on a center leaf from the crown.
    — Sherri Gordon, Health, 25 Aug. 2025
  • The long day weighs on me, tugging at my eyelids.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Gray and his wife tug on the rope and the covering drops away.
    — al, 12 Jan. 2022
  • When the net dips, players tug on the loose end of the rope to pull it back up.
    — Luca Evans, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022
  • Where the gaps are, gently tug on the hair to achieve the bubbles.
    — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 18 July 2023
  • Use a firm hold close to the skin's surface and quickly tug on it.
    — Heather L. Brannon, Md, Verywell Health, 22 Mar. 2023
  • Franklin would tug on a pair of straps, the band dangling behind him.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The first two wear bikinis, tug the tops to get their cleavage just right.
    — Lesley Finn, Longreads, 7 July 2022
  • Turn them right side out and gently tug and smooth the seams and pockets.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The bristles help define curls when hair is wet, and won’t tug or pull.
    — Lindy Segal, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 Aug. 2023
  • There's even a set that mixes plush toys and tug toys in one for extra fun.
    — Lily Gray, PEOPLE.com, 12 Dec. 2021
  • But the stuff that tugs at the heartstrings is what could make these devices stick.
    — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
  • Cats may knead your clothes with sharp claws, and dogs might chew or tug at garments just for fun.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026
  • At the end of your outing, tug the end of the cord to loosen and remove your boot.
    — Déjà Leonard, Popular Mechanics, 19 Jan. 2023
  • And Daldry has this great instinct for tugging on our heart strings.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2023
  • The moment tugged at Susnick’s heart, and made her laugh.
    — Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
  • Heartstrings are tugged with relish.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Nellie sat cross-legged on her bed, tugging her knees into her chest.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
  • If your greenery is struggling to slide out, gently tug on the base of the stems.
    — Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 13 July 2022
  • Use it to tug up your shirt and show off a sliver of skin or your belly button ring.
    — Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 12 Sep. 2022
  • The basic bands have the perfect amount of stretch and a smooth surface that doesn’t tug or snag.
    — Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Don't be afraid to tug on the sections to really ramp up the volume.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 31 July 2023

tug

2 of 2 noun
  • He felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.
  • Both sides are stuck in a tug of war.
    — Andrei Cretu, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
  • The tug of war is just starting.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Tell me about tug of war and how you guys brought that to the screen.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025
  • To look for root rot, give the plant a gentle tug.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2026
  • And gear that hugs and tugs in all the wrong places doesn’t whisper.
    — Marisa McMillan, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Max tugs at my shirt for a water bottle.
    — Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 June 2026
  • There is a tug of war underway for their hearts and minds.
    — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
  • An instant later, there came three or four more tugs.
    — Anthony A. Ciuffa, Outdoor Life, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Children are pawns in this tug of war over their learning and their minds.
    — WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023
  • Play with them in a battle of tug of war thanks to the long design of each toy.
    — Christine Persaud, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Give one of the center leaves of the pineapple a firm but gentle tug.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 June 2026
  • This entire year has felt like an internal tug of war.
    — Brittney Oliver, Essence, 10 Dec. 2025
  • Give a firm tug on the chute to be sure that it’s securely fastened.
    — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 10 July 2023
  • Yee is also no stranger to the sometime uneasy tug of one’s roots.
    — Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
  • There are even a few tug-of-war competitions to be had out there.
    — Rebekah Lowin, Country Living, 4 Oct. 2022
  • Stick the pasties on your boob, lift each one with the tug of its top tab, then adhere it to your skin.
    — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024
  • The process feels more like a quick peel than a painful tug, leaving skin smooth in just minutes.
    — Lily Wohlner, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025
  • There will also be games including beer stein races, a keg haul and tug-o-war.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2022
  • So my dog and I have been doing a tug of war over branches to stress out the tree.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Give it a little tug to fold out the queen-size mattress within, then lay back for a rest.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Dig deeper for more on the tug of war between the Fed and markets.
    — Joe Wallace, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2023
  • Once on the boundary of the runway ramp, the tug stops and disconnects.
    — David Szondy june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2026
  • His oldest is now an attorney, his youngest a tug-boat captain.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
  • This festive red bin is filled with squeaky toys, tug ropes and tasty treats for a Good Boy.
    — Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2022
  • Romance scams aren’t the only ones with a strong emotional tug.
    — Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2023
  • In many places, grasslands and forests coexist in a slow-motion tug-of-war.
    — Julia Rosen, The Atlantic, 25 July 2022
  • The ship is moved in, slowly and carefully; tugs help, and so does the shipyard crew.
    — Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Instead, use your thumb and forefinger to grasp the berry at the stem and give it a gentle tug.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Give the potato a gentle tug to check for resistance.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 10 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: