: a small fast patrol craft usually armed with torpedoes, machine guns, and depth charges
called also PT
Examples of PT boat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the Pacific, by the end of World War II, at least 212 PT boats had gotten into the fight.
—
Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The PT boat became the bomber squadron of 15 bombers and their crews that Bentsen commanded at age 23.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Kennedy's inauguration featured a replica of the PT boat that the new president served on during World War II.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 14 June 2025
That helps account for the dutiful but often grim tone of the film, in which a pair of Navy men (Wayne, Robert Montgomery) try to convince the higher-ups that their small, maneuverable PT boats have a place in battles others believe will be dominated by larger vessels.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
Kennedy’s brother John led a PT boat in the South Pacific and his brother Joseph Jr. piloted a plane in Europe, where he was killed in action.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2023
His character, Seaman Joseph Haines, one of a crew of misfits aboard a World War II PT boat, was known as Happy.
—Mike Flaherty, New York Times, 29 May 2021
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Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The PT boat became the bomber squadron of 15 bombers and their crews that Bentsen commanded at age 23.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Kennedy's inauguration featured a replica of the PT boat that the new president served on during World War II.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 14 June 2025
That helps account for the dutiful but often grim tone of the film, in which a pair of Navy men (Wayne, Robert Montgomery) try to convince the higher-ups that their small, maneuverable PT boats have a place in battles others believe will be dominated by larger vessels.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
Kennedy’s brother John led a PT boat in the South Pacific and his brother Joseph Jr. piloted a plane in Europe, where he was killed in action.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2023
His character, Seaman Joseph Haines, one of a crew of misfits aboard a World War II PT boat, was known as Happy.
—Mike Flaherty, New York Times, 29 May 2021
Cite this Entry
“PT boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PT%20boat. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
PT boat
noun
: a high-speed motorboat usually equipped with torpedoes, machine guns, and depth charges
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