torpedo boat
noun
: a boat designed for launching torpedoes
specifically
: a small very fast boat with one or more torpedo tubes
Examples of torpedo boat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On August 2nd of that year, North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the U.S.S. Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin.
—
Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
In 1967: Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats attacked allies on the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy research ship collecting intelligence near the Sinai Peninsula, amid the Six-Day War between Israel and neighboring Arab nations Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2024
Destroyers were invented in the 1880s, when they were called torpedo boat destroyers.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 2 Sep. 2022
In the late nineteenth century, for instance, France’s navy sought to counter British naval supremacy by investing heavily in submarines and torpedo boats.
—Julia Ciocca, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2021
The crew had commenced destroying classified materials and equipment, but the sailors could hold off the five torpedo boats and two aircraft only for so long.
—Abraham Mahshie, Washington Examiner, 20 Feb. 2020
Its fleet ranges from torpedo boats to fast-moving patrol vessels and Zodiacs.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 14 June 2019
Towed behind a torpedo boat, the Shirley would sooner or later rise and fumble skyward, staying aloft exactly as long as its pilot's stamina held out and his sprocket chain stayed intact.
—Jamie Kitman, Car and Driver, 5 Nov. 2013
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.
Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
In 1967: Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats attacked allies on the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy research ship collecting intelligence near the Sinai Peninsula, amid the Six-Day War between Israel and neighboring Arab nations Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2024
Destroyers were invented in the 1880s, when they were called torpedo boat destroyers.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 2 Sep. 2022
In the late nineteenth century, for instance, France’s navy sought to counter British naval supremacy by investing heavily in submarines and torpedo boats.
—Julia Ciocca, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2021
The crew had commenced destroying classified materials and equipment, but the sailors could hold off the five torpedo boats and two aircraft only for so long.
—Abraham Mahshie, Washington Examiner, 20 Feb. 2020
Its fleet ranges from torpedo boats to fast-moving patrol vessels and Zodiacs.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 14 June 2019
Towed behind a torpedo boat, the Shirley would sooner or later rise and fumble skyward, staying aloft exactly as long as its pilot's stamina held out and his sprocket chain stayed intact.
—Jamie Kitman, Car and Driver, 5 Nov. 2013
Cite this Entry
“Torpedo boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torpedo%20boat. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
