: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing
called also towboat
Examples of tugboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The ship, though owned and operated by Chouest, was part of Shell’s Arctic fleet, designed for a specific role: as a tugboat that could tow Shell’s 250-foot-tall polar drill rig, the Kulluk, around the coast of Alaska and help anchor it in the waters of the Far North.
—
Mckenzie Funk, ProPublica, 23 Jan. 2025
Finnish authorities deployed a tugboat and a patrol ship to secure the vessel and mitigate any potential environmental risks.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Known for providing high-quality construction services across multiple sectors, including heavy highway and railroad repair, as well as bridge and marine construction, Mohawk Northeast is powered by a robust fleet of machinery that includes cranes and tugboats.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The plan for the historic ship is for it to be towed by tugboats to Mobile, Alabama where it will be broken down to serve as an artificial reef.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tugboat 
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.
Mckenzie Funk, ProPublica, 23 Jan. 2025
Finnish authorities deployed a tugboat and a patrol ship to secure the vessel and mitigate any potential environmental risks.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Known for providing high-quality construction services across multiple sectors, including heavy highway and railroad repair, as well as bridge and marine construction, Mohawk Northeast is powered by a robust fleet of machinery that includes cranes and tugboats.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The plan for the historic ship is for it to be towed by tugboats to Mobile, Alabama where it will be broken down to serve as an artificial reef.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tugboat
Dictionary Entries Near tugboat
Cite this Entry
“Tugboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tugboat. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tugboat
noun
tug·boat
ˈtəg-ˌbōt 
: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing ships
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share