tower

tow·er | \ ˈtau̇(-ə)r

Definition of tower

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a building or structure typically higher than its diameter and high relative to its surroundings that may stand apart (such as a campanile) or be attached (such as a church belfry) to a larger structure and that may be fully walled in or of skeleton framework (such as an observation or transmission tower)

2 : a towering citadel : fortress

3 : one that provides support or protection : bulwark a tower of strength

4 : a personal computer case that stands in an upright position

tower

verb

towered; towering; towers

Definition of tower (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to reach or rise to a great height

2 : to exhibit superior qualities : surpass her intellect towered over the others'

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Examples of tower in a Sentence

Noun a hill from which one can gaze upon the towers of that great and historic city

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun While looking for other murals, walkers can wander a short distance away from busy U.S. 290 to look at the stately, red-brick Lee County Courthouse, with a clock tower and flags flying. — Carolyn Lindell, USA TODAY, "Mural, mural, on the wall: Texas small towns showcase daytrip-worthy paintings," 20 June 2020 In court, District Attorney Mike Ramsey displayed the brittle iron hook that had broken on a PG&E transmission tower the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, sparking the historic conflagration and showering terror and sorrow on thousands of people. — Lizzie Johnson, SFChronicle.com, "PG&E legal saga reaches climax with Camp Fire sentencing, bankruptcy approval," 18 June 2020 University of Oregon Track coach Robert Johnson hasn’t formally moved into his new office high in the 10-story tower at the new Hayward Field. — oregonlive, "UO Ducks coach Robert Johnson isn’t sure when he’ll move into his office at Hayward Field: Oregon track & field rundown," 18 June 2020 Since starting work at the site in late 2018, Millennium has spent more than $325 million — mostly its own money — on the 690-foot-tall tower, said Joe Larkin, who heads the firm’s Boston office. — BostonGlobe.com, "The week in business," 13 June 2020 The Niemeyer Sphere, as Mr Koehne calls it, perches on a narrow supporting tower at the edge of a two-storey building that houses the canteen of his two companies, Kirow Ardelt, which makes cranes, and HeiterBlick, a tram manufacturer. — The Economist, "Living wills In the world of architecture, death is not always fatal," 13 June 2020 For most of Thursday, the loudest sound there was the hum of a generator supplying power to the TV camera tower. — Dallas News, "This year’s Charles Schwab at Colonial will be memorable. Hopefully for good sanitization, but definitely for the silence.," 12 June 2020 One of the smarter aspects of the system is that the seedling containers include a legend next to each plant indicating whether it should be positioned high up on the tower, in full light, in shade, and so on. — Matt Bean, Sunset Magazine, "Sunset Loves: I Tried Vertical Gardening and Now the Neighbors Love Me," 12 June 2020 Public spaces on the tower will also be cleaned and disinfected daily. — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, "The Eiffel Tower Is Reopening on June 25 but Tourists Won't Be Able to Get to the Top Just Yet," 10 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The company will occupy 9,500-square-feet inside the RiverCenter I tower at 50 E. RiverCenter Blvd., according to the release. — Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Hilltop, making way for Cincinnati Bengals and music venue, moves headquarters to Covington," 17 June 2020 Those statues towered over public lands, were maintained with public tax dollars, and, ultimately, were torn down by the public’s hands. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "Now Do Lincoln," 11 June 2020 The 52-foot-tall Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument towered over historic Linn Park for 115 years. — Connor Sheets | Csheets@al.com, al, "Obituary for a racist symbol: Birmingham takes down Confederate monument after 115 years," 2 June 2020 The morning light on this Sunday filters through the trees towering over their Craftsman home, and a crowd of neighbors and passersby gathers, observing social distancing etiquette. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, "Video: L.A. Phil musicians give porch recitals for their Pasadena neighbors," 7 May 2020 By 1995, the massive structure towered 165 feet in height, nearly as tall as a 16-story building. — Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, "Six Castles You Can Visit in the United States," 11 Mar. 2020 Precisely one year from now, FedEx’s top-ranked 125 golfers will have to sidestep the metro-NY market and instead open their playoffs amid the towering pines and craggy, serpentine stonewalls dotted across TPC Boston. — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "PGA to-do list included return to TPC Boston," 10 Aug. 2019 For these two towering figures in the worlds of Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Quibi represents a bold — some would say risky — bet that consumers will be willing to pay for high-end short-form video designed for mobile phones. — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, "Quibi was already a gamble. Will the coronavirus crisis help or hurt the streaming service?," 1 Apr. 2020 No coronavirus messages from Alabama’s Nick Saban or Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, the two towering figures of the sport. — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "Opinion: College football coaches should deliver blunt coronavirus message: Practice social distancing or season is in trouble," 21 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tower.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

24 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Tower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tower. Accessed 5 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for tower

tower

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tower

: a tall, narrow building or structure that may stand apart from or be attached to another building or structure

: a tall piece of furniture used to store something

computers : a personal computer that stands in an upright position

See the full definition for tower in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tower

noun

tow·er | \ ˈtau̇-ər

Kids Definition of tower

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a building or structure that is higher than its length or width, is higher than most of what surrounds it, and may stand by itself or be attached to a larger structure

tower

verb

towered; towering

Kids Definition of tower (Entry 2 of 2)

: to reach or rise to a great height

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