tug

Meanings

• a sudden abrupt pull
• a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships
• pull hard
  • "The prisoner tugged at the chains"
  • "This movie tugs at the heart strings"
• strive and make an effort to reach a goal
  • "She tugged for years to make a decent living"
• tow (a vessel) with a tug
  • "The tugboat tugged the freighter into the harbor"
• carry with difficulty
• move by pulling hard
  • "The horse finally tugged the cart out of the mud"
• pull or strain hard at
  • "Each oar was tugged by several men"
• struggle in opposition
  • "She tugged and wrestled with her conflicts"

Synonyms

drive, jerk, labor, labour, lug, push, tote, towboat, tower, tugboat