tug at

tug at (someone or something)

1. To pull or yank on someone or something vigorously or repeatedly. Yes, we can go see the lion enclosure now, stop tugging at me like that! The tractor tugged at the car, but it still wouldn't budge from the ditch.

2. To demand or require someone's attention, especially urgently or incessantly. It can be easy to become overwhelmed when you've got a dozen different things tugging at you, so we've created a software suite to help get your business life back in order. The whole time I was in college, the thought of moving to Japan and teaching English just kept tugging at me.

See also: tug

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

tug at someone or something

to pull at someone or something. Stop tugging at me! I'll talk to you in a minute. The dog tugged at my pants cuff.

See also: tug

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.