tugboat

noun

tug·​boat ˈtəg-ˌbōt 

: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing

called also towboat

Examples of tugboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, Iranian media reported that five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz in similar incidents. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026

Laden with modern conveniences, today's dahabeahs are admittedly no longer sprightly enough to be harried along by wind and sail; instead they are pushed and pulled by dinky-looking tugboats. — Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026

The latter traversed the Panama Canal on a tugboat named the Shannon Dann, which rescued four fishermen off the coast of Baja California, tangerine behemoth and all. — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

The nearly 70-foot-long tugboat changed ownership several times before it was abandoned at the mouth of the Amnicon River in 1951. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tugboat

• afloat
• azote
• banknote
• bareboat
• benzoate
• connote
• cutthroat
• demote
• denote
• devote
• endnote
• footnote

Kids Definition

tugboat

noun

tug·​boat ˈtəg-ˌbōt 

: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing ships