towboat

noun

tow·​boat ˈtō-ˌbōt How to pronounce towboat (audio)
Synonyms of towboatnext
1
: tugboat
2
: a compact shallow-draft boat with a squared bow designed and fitted for pushing tows of barges on inland waterways

Examples of towboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But crew numbers for each towboat are the same. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026 Witnesses watch as barge hits sailboat of campers The operator likely couldn’t hear from inside the pilot house atop the towboat, the captain said. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025 The gig is providing extra income for Novinska, who's typically a towboat captain pushing barges full of goods on the river. — Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Dec. 2025 The Wake Pro 230 was designed around being a towboat, for water-skiing, wakeboarding, or wake-surfing. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for towboat

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of towboat was in 1815

Rhymes for towboat

See All Rhymes for towboat

Browse Nearby Words

tow bar
towboat
tow bug
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Towboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/towboat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

towboat

noun
tow·​boat ˈtō-ˌbōt How to pronounce towboat (audio)
1
: tugboat
2
: a compact shallow-draft boat for pushing barges on inland waterways

More from Merriam-Webster on towboat

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