: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing
called also towboat
Examples of tugboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After moments of complete chaos, a glimmer of hope was felt throughout the entire ship once the tugboats finally arrived.
—
Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 24 June 2025
Francis then charged the Navy heavily inflated prices for his firm’s services, such as security, tugboats, food, water replenishment and trash removal.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Image The ship’s peeling black hull loomed over the industrial riverfront at Pier 82, opposite fast-food restaurants and an IKEA store across South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, as tugboats nudged the ship about 100 feet across the slip, a process that took hours.
—Isabelle Taft, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Further tugboats are also en route, and a Dornier Do 228 sensor aircraft has been deployed in the area to gather further information.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tugboat
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Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 24 June 2025
Francis then charged the Navy heavily inflated prices for his firm’s services, such as security, tugboats, food, water replenishment and trash removal.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Image The ship’s peeling black hull loomed over the industrial riverfront at Pier 82, opposite fast-food restaurants and an IKEA store across South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, as tugboats nudged the ship about 100 feet across the slip, a process that took hours.
—Isabelle Taft, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Further tugboats are also en route, and a Dornier Do 228 sensor aircraft has been deployed in the area to gather further information.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tugboat
Cite this Entry
“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tugboat. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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tugboat
noun
tug·boat
ˈtəg-ˌbōt 
: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing ships
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