I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
give sth a shake/rattle/tug etc
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She picked up the envelope and gave it a shake.
tug of love
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
off
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She tugged off his patterned trousers and the leather jerkin.
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The purse I tugged off the shelf in the closet was a tight-weave straw classic, wide-bottomed, with coiled straps.
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He tugged off the leather breastplate, then the tunic, and brushed at the blood.
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As if on command, the figure on the bed tugged off his hood.
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He tugged off the high boots and, fumbling with the buttons, he removed his officer's grey-green trousers.
■ NOUN
arm
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Izzie tugging on his arm , pleading, and her father pushing her away.
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A man at the edge of the crowd tugged at my arm .
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As mummy stepped out of the car park, tugging Anna's arm even though she was hurrying, she turned away from the postbox.
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She begins to tug at my arm .
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A dazed Fourth Aunt lay in bed, vaguely aware that some one was tugging on her arm .
hair
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The wind was tugging at her hair , the setting sun turning it to false and fleeting gold.
hand
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While he was blinded, Jane grabbed his beard with both hands and tugged .
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Baptiste took her hand and tugged her after him.
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She felt her eyelids dropping and woke just in time to feel her hand being tugged towards the throbbing drums.
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She lived like you do, a dozen slack rope-ends in each dream hand , tugging uselessly on memory or hope.
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Shutting the window with careful hands , he tugged trousers over his pyjamas and pulled a polo-necked sweater over his head.
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He felt a hand tugging at his shirtsleeve.
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Polly's hands tugged at his zip.
sleeve
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Benjamin tugged Ruthven by the sleeve , indicating he wished to talk to him.
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But, like Machiavelli, they are for ever tugging at the sleeves of politicians.
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The goat-kicking woman tugged at my sleeve and pointed, saying something I did not understand.
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Then the little boy, our guide, was with us again, tugging Mr Thabane's sleeve , talking excitedly.
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A little old woman, clearly upset, was going about tugging at people's sleeves and pointing to the figures.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
tug/tear/pull at sb's heartstrings
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It pulls at the heartstrings of every agent out there to see a young lady or anyone jeopardized by these conditions.
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That night the little creature did not stop crying and its pitiful little squeak tore at Aggie's heartstrings .
tug/touch your forelock
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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"Come on," Alice said, tugging at his hand.
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The little girl was tugging her mother's sleeve, trying to get her attention.
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We tugged at the door but it still wouldn't open.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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As if reading his mind Maggie tugged him across in front of her so that he could comfort his wife.
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As they tugged it straight the wind bellied it out, taut as a sail.
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But he had worked one hand loose and he made a leap as Jack tugged.
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Marine biologists used to study life in the ocean deeps by tugging nets behind boats and examining what they dragged up.
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She tugged at her skirt and adjusted her waistband.
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She tugged it off the body.
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Then, just when it seemed to have settled, it made a sharp sideways movement, tugging against the halter.
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You have to tug a little to break the seal, and then the door opens.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ VERB
feel
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As his gaze tangled with hers, Ashley felt a tug of emotional recognition.
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I felt a tug when the skids hit treetops.
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Not for the first time, Kelly felt an unmistakable tug of attraction towards him.
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When you feel that telltale tug , crank the handle and keep the pressure on.
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The Mountie, feeling the tug , turned fast and put his hand down on Sheridan's wrist.
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Suddenly he felt an uneven tug , the string went slack, and he realized that his efforts had been in vain.
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At seven it tightens and I feel a tug .
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He felt the tug of the tow rope.
give
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She gave a tentative tug at her hand.
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I told him to shut up and I seized the door handle and gave it a good tug .
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Don't be tentative or give repeated tugs which achieve nothing.
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Tony gave Simon a tug on his shirt, and they left the room.
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So he can give it a final tug to check it is closed.
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I gave him a tug and he immediately lifted his near-fore.
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After a little manipulation, the buckle slips round the handle, I give a tug , and the job is done.
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It gives readers that necessary tug which will take them through all sorts of possibly wearisome matters to the final page.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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I seized the door handle and gave it a good tug .
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If you were in the crowd, you couldn't fail to feel an emotional tug .
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Tony gave Simon's T-shirt a tug , and they both left the room.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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A tug at his trouser leg awakened him from his reverie.
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A tug hooting from the river.
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After so much delay, it never took more than one or two tugs.
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At Blisworth on the Grand Union Canal tugs were used from 1870 to 1936.
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I felt a tug when the skids hit treetops.
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The crew abandoned the tug , forcing the Coast Guard to send a swimmer out in high seas to rescue them.
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The ropes still held, but one good tug would part them like silk.