tugboat

noun

Definition of tugboatnext
as in towboat

Related Words

Relevance

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
  • The app covers 430 cities around the world and options include bus, subway and ferry routes as well as taxi, rental bike and scooter options.
    — Kelvin Chan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Neighborhoods have sprung back to life thanks to new ferry services; long-derelict edifices are being renovated, including the 1888 Custom House, which is opening this year as a hotel, The Langham; and there are plans for a pedestrian bridge.
    — Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferry
Noun
  • The two inner petals form the central keel that protects the flower’s reproductive organs.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The keel-laying ceremony for the second next-generation U212NFS (Near Future Submarine) was held at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugboat. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tugboat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tugboat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of syncretic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All