: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing
called also towboat
Examples of tugboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Both Italy and Malta have dispatched tugboats and anti-pollution assets that are ready to intervene if necessary.
—
Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
In 2021, salvage teams using powerful tugboats set free an enormous container ship that was wedged across Egypt's Suez Canal for nearly a week, blocking all ship traffic on the vital waterway and disrupting the global shipping system.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
An Inter-American Commission on Human Rights investigation in 1996 ruled that four boats belonging to the Cuban government attacked the tugboat.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
Four tugboats helped the Infinity arrive safely at the port.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tugboat
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Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
In 2021, salvage teams using powerful tugboats set free an enormous container ship that was wedged across Egypt's Suez Canal for nearly a week, blocking all ship traffic on the vital waterway and disrupting the global shipping system.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026
An Inter-American Commission on Human Rights investigation in 1996 ruled that four boats belonging to the Cuban government attacked the tugboat.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
Four tugboats helped the Infinity arrive safely at the port.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tugboat
Cite this Entry
“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tugboat. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tugboat
noun
tug·boat
ˈtəg-ˌbōt 
: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing ships
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