1
: a flat-bottomed boat (such as a lighter)
especially
: a flat-bottomed boat or portable float used in building a floating temporary bridge
2
: a float especially of a seaplane
British
Examples of pontoon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
The result is what seems to be a cross between a catamaran and a giant fishing pontoon with a large open deck measuring 900 ft² (83 m²) that can handle standard shipping containers weighing up to 30 tonnes.
—New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2025
The three women died after a pontoon boat with seven occupants flipped over in the western Maine lake.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Or, have dinner on a pontoon boat with each course delivered by silent canoe.
—Karin Jones, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pontoon
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.
Noun
Kelly’s father owned a pontoon boat that, in high school, had been off limits.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
The result is what seems to be a cross between a catamaran and a giant fishing pontoon with a large open deck measuring 900 ft² (83 m²) that can handle standard shipping containers weighing up to 30 tonnes.
—New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2025
The three women died after a pontoon boat with seven occupants flipped over in the western Maine lake.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Or, have dinner on a pontoon boat with each course delivered by silent canoe.
—Karin Jones, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pontoon
Cite this Entry
“Pontoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pontoon. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share