tugboat

noun

tug·​boat ˈtəg-ˌbōt How to pronounce tugboat (audio)
: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing

called also towboat

Examples of tugboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ontario’s domestic production sector, long the tugboat of the provincial industry, has faced falling license fees from local broadcasters, and so is casting its net wider these days for international co-production partners and private investors. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2024 One of 13 children raised by George and Anna Runk and Josephine McGill in Highlandtown, Mr. Runk grew up working on tugboats and picking beans on farms on the Eastern Shore, according to his son. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024 The tugboat only carried five people in total, and four of the crew members were able to escape. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Only one person was killed, the ship's engineer — and his remains were found not long after. Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 2 Oct. 2024 Francis then charged the U.S. government heavily inflated prices for services such as security, tugboats, food, water replenishment and trash removal. Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tugboat 

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tugboat was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near tugboat

Cite this Entry

“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tugboat. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

tugboat

noun
tug·​boat ˈtəg-ˌbōt How to pronounce tugboat (audio)
: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing ships
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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