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.
Officials have also expressed that a tugboat taking the ship away from Pier 17 at South Street Seaport should have towed the vessel further away. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 19 May 2025 Videos show a tugboat was close to the Cuauhtémoc at the time of the crash. Ruth Brown, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025 Videos show a tugboat that was close to the Cuauhtémoc at the time of the crash. Danielle Wallace , Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2025 Apparently, neither the American Challenger nor the tugboat Hunter were insured, the Press Democrat reported in 2021. Steven Rosenfeld, Mercury News, 1 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tugboat. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

tugboat

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

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