: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing
called also towboat
Examples of tugboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By midday, tugboats took the lead to part ice for ferries.
—
Vanessa Murdock, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
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, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Since the MoD contract allowed Serco to subcontract its work without involving UK suppliers, shipyards like Ferguson Marine could not even bid to make these tugboats or other vessels that the Royal Navy needs.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
On a fact-finding trip, there was enough maritime traffic—four barges, eight ferries, one tugboat, one water taxi, and a yacht—to justify a harbor blockade.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tugboat
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Vanessa Murdock, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
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, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Since the MoD contract allowed Serco to subcontract its work without involving UK suppliers, shipyards like Ferguson Marine could not even bid to make these tugboats or other vessels that the Royal Navy needs.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
On a fact-finding trip, there was enough maritime traffic—four barges, eight ferries, one tugboat, one water taxi, and a yacht—to justify a harbor blockade.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 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 5 Feb. 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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