tugboat

noun

tug·​boat ˈtəg-ˌbōt How to pronounce tugboat (audio)
Synonyms of tugboatnext
: 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.
After the tugboat overturned, one crew member, an Indonesian, was rescued by the merchant vessel. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Each 10-megawatt reactor on a barge can power the equivalent of about 10,000 homes, can be moved via tugboats, and can be stacked alongside each other for extra power generation. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 The wreck of a steam tugboat dating from the early 1900s is the latest relic to emerge from shrinking waters in Serbia as Europe's rivers run dry, with the continent engulfed in prolonged, extreme heat and drought. — CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Additionally, it was decided that the ship would undergo repairs, which meant that the ship could not be moved except by tugboat. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for tugboat

See All Rhymes for tugboat

Browse Nearby Words

Tug
tugboat
tug chain
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tugboat. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tugboat

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

More from Merriam-Webster on tugboat

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tugboat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tugboat

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