tug at someone's heart strings

A form of tug at someone's heartstrings — Synonym of play on someone's heartstrings.

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Meanings

verbtug at someone's heart strings (third-person singular simple present tugs at someone's heart strings, present participle tugging at someone's heart strings, simple past and past participle tugged at someone's heart strings)

present singular third person tugs at someone's heart strings · participle present tugging at someone's heart strings · participle past tugged at someone's heart strings · past tugged at someone's heart strings

  1. alternativeAlternative form of tug at someone's heartstrings.
Cite this entry
APA

tug at someone's heart strings. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tug%20at%20someone's%20heart%20strings

MLA

“tug at someone's heart strings.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tug%20at%20someone's%20heart%20strings. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tug at someone's heart strings,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tug%20at%20someone's%20heart%20strings.

Source: tug at someone's heart strings on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.