tug

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.

The debate is part of a national tug of war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

With the Iran war now well into its third month, countries are scrambling to circumvent the geopolitical tug of war by transitioning more quickly to renewables.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

Gravitational pulls from planets slowly tug on the individual fragments in different ways, causing the once compact stream to spread out and eventually blend into the background dust filling the solar system.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

He had already caught several, and a tug of resistance on the line hinted he would get another.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

I feel like one of Mav’s tug toys, each of them pulling me in opposite directions.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam