tugboat

noun

Definition of tugboatnext
as in towboat

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tugboat According to prosecutors, Insua was operating a tugboat pushing a barge loaded with construction debris, while a deckhouse and crane obstructed his view ahead. — Bethany Brown, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026 The operator of a tugboat that was pushing a construction barge that ran over a sailboat last summer in Biscayne Bay, killing three summer campers, pleaded guilty to seaman’s manslaughter in federal court on Tuesday. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026 That dude was sinking fast and the R's pretty much sent him the tugboat and life jacket. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 June 2026 Arc Marine's electric tugboats are heading for the Port of Long Beach, California. — Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tugboat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugboat
  1. towboat
  2. barge
  3. tug
  4. ferryboat
  5. ferry
  6. keel
  7. keelboat
  8. lifeboat
Noun
  • Eisenberger is a former deputy aide for Collins who most recently worked for American Waterways Operators, the national trade association for the barge, towboat and tugboat industry.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
  • When drought tightens the channel, water managers, dredge crews, and lock operators must communicate with towboat companies and shippers nearly every moment.
    — Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2026
Definition of towboat
Noun
  • The prologue starts in 1986 in Newfoundland with a family relocating, uprooting their lives in the most all-encompassing of ways, taking their entire home — propped up on a barge and steered by a lone motorboat — across a bay.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • That is especially true for remote communities that must have their fuel flown in or delivered by barge before the rivers ice over.
    — Becky Bohrer, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of barge
Noun
  • Early that morning, an Argentinean naval tug had been bombed by the British, destroying its communications systems.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The knitting process is portable and easy, but the structure also means a tug on one loose end can quickly unravel the whole project.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of tug
Noun
  • But nearly a decade since the first city-run ferryboat set sail, the system has been working to win over skeptics.
    — Julia Press, Bloomberg, 22 May 2026
  • Crofton will be the only living person with a Disney ferryboat named after her.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Definition of ferryboat
Noun
  • In the surrounding neighborhood, lots of charming bars, shops, and restaurants sit within walking distance and public ferry service is available.
    — Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
  • From Hoboken, riders can take the PATH to 33rd Street, the 126 bus to Port Authority, or a New York Waterway ferry to West 39th Street.
    — Aziza Shuler, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferry
Noun
  • Its keel was laid on July 26, 2013, and it was launched on December 25, 2019.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The two inner petals form the central keel that protects the flower’s reproductive organs.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of keel
Noun
  • This sailing school follows both Sail Canada's and keelboat certification programs as well.
    — Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • However, apart from his time competing on high-speed M32 catamarans, Canfield’s experience and success have come through racing traditional keelboats.
    — Andrew Rice, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of keelboat
Noun
  • Three of the nation's astronauts (or taikonauts) were left without a lifeboat for 10 days.
    — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Coast Guard has deployed two search and rescue planes as well as a helicopter and a motor lifeboat.
    — Frank Langfitt, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of lifeboat

Browse Nearby Words

tug
tugboat
tugboats
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Cite this Entry

“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugboat. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tugboat

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