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.

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.
See also:
  • tug at (someone or something)
  • yank at
  • yank at (someone or something)
  • tug away at (someone or something)
  • tractor out
  • jerk (someone or something) out of (something or some place)
  • jerk out of
  • pull (someone or something) under
  • pull under
  • pull to
References in classic literature
Trudolyubov will beat me hardest, he is so strong; Ferfitchkin will be sure to catch hold sideways and tug at my hair.
Notes from the Underground
Just then her driver came up, and with a tug at her mouth backed her out of the line and drove off, leaving me very sad indeed.
Black Beauty
Just as they were about to dock, the tug at the centre of the disaster - called the Dalkey - smashed into the car ferry causing more than EUR100,000 of damage.
WORKERS ESCAPE DEATH IN TUG CRASH
Once the tip catches hold of the molecule, the researchers tug at it repeatedly until all the bonds have broken, like pulling ivy away from a wall, tendril by tendril.
Breaking bonds reveals their strength
Salvage engineers later raised the tug at low tide and removed it to the docks for a full inspection.
Crewman drowns trapped inside capsized tug boat