Thesaurus results for TUGBOAT

tugboat

noun

Definition of tugboat

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 Additionally, it was decided that the ship would undergo repairs, which meant that the ship could not be moved except by tugboat. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for tugboat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tugboat

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

Kemetale This boutique operator, which launched in 2022 with the Kemet Dahabeya, has small-scale ships that take their cues from the traditional dahabeah, a kind of sailing barge.

— Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2026
Men stand on the side of a barge in New York Harbor holding a rope attached to a wooden crate from which Harry Houdini was trying to escape July 7, 1912.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of barge

Noun

Saucy and sticky, the tender ribs tug impeccably off the bone.

— Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
The sci-fi horror film follows the seven-member crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo who, upon returning to Earth, intercept a strange transmission from a nearby moon.

— Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of tug

Noun

An hour on the ferry from Long Beach, California, brings visitors to the island's sweeping landscape, including ridgelines and roving bison.

— Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
On a ferry trip to Ocracoke, we were required to shut off the vehicle's engine for the roughly two-and-a-half-hour crossing on a day when temperatures were around 90 degrees.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of ferry

Noun

Butler also walked us through how to break down the bird ourselves—find the breastbone with your thumb, run the knife along the keel, and the breast comes away in one clean piece the color of a dark plum.

— Heide Brandes, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Its keel was laid on July 26, 2013, and it was launched on December 25, 2019.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 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

Then, possibly, the lifeboat encountered more of the bad weather the Mary Celeste had already experienced and sank.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Nov. 2026
Channel ports, housing for asylum seekers and even the lifeboat charity that rescues people in danger at sea have been targeted by anti-migrant protests encouraged by far-right activists.

— Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of lifeboat

Browse Nearby Words

tug

tugboat

tugboats

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tugboat. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tugboat

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tugboat

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cockamamie

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes