TUGS (ON) is a term used to describe a type of vessel that is used to pull or tow other vessels. The crossword solutions for this term are PULLS (5 letters), YANKS (5 letters), and YANKSAT (7 letters). PULLS is a verb meaning to exert force on something in order to move it towards oneself, while YANKS and YANKSAT are both nouns meaning to pull or draw with a sudden movement. All three words can be used to describe the action of a tugboat.