tugboat
noun
tug·boat
| \ ˈtəg-ˌbōt
\
\
Definition of tugboat
: a strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing
— called also towboat
Examples of tugboat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike a ship, the Lomonosov cannot move anywhere on its own, lacking a propulsion system, and instead requires tugboats to guide it. — NBC News, "Russia's 'floating Chernobyl' nuclear plant begins voyage north," 23 Aug. 2019 And so in April the ship traveled from Seattle to the California port of Vallejo, where tugboats nudged it into a slip and onto blocks. — Los Angeles Times, "Meet the neglected 43-year-old stepchild of the U.S. military-industrial complex," 2 Aug. 2019 The biggest tugboat is the Shapley Supercluster, a behemoth of 50 million billion solar masses that resides about 500 million light years away from Earth (and not too far away in the sky from the Vela Supercluster). — Quanta Magazine, "Hidden Supercluster Could Solve Milky Way Mystery," 21 Nov. 2017 The hub has already signed partnerships with shipping companies like the tugboat company Moran, marine science hubs including the New England Aquarium, academic institutions including Tufts, and several venture capital firms. — John Konrad, BostonGlobe.com, "The next global tech disruption will happen where few expect it," 28 June 2019 Billings apparently lost control after two tugboats assisting her cast off their tow lines, leaving the littoral combat ship under her own power. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "One of the Navy's New Warships Just Crashed in Canada," 26 June 2019 Orlando witnessed the landings at Omaha Beach from his tugboat. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, "‘We’re Still in the Same Boat.’ As the World Marks 75 Years Since D-Day, the Men Who Were There Look Back—and Ahead," 5 June 2019 The confrontation Sunday began when three Ukrainian naval vessels—two armored artillery ships and one tugboat—were traveling through the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. — Farnaz Fassihi, WSJ, "Haley Calls Russia Reckless in Tense Standoff With Ukraine," 26 Nov. 2018 The tugboat law has been in effect continuously since 2011. — Joshua Miller, BostonGlobe.com, "Healey, blasting oil barge industry, looks to protect Mass. tugboat escort law," 24 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tugboat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for tugboat
tugboat
noun
English Language Learners Definition of tugboat
: a small, powerful boat that is used for pulling and pushing ships especially into harbors or up rivers
See the full definition for tugboat in the English Language Learners Dictionary
tugboat
noun
tug·boat
| \ ˈtəg-ˌbōt
\
\
Kids Definition of tugboat
: a small powerful boat used for towing ships
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