tow 1 of 2

verb

ˈtō How to pronounce tow (audio)
Definition of townext
as in to pull
to cause to follow by applying steady force on towed the car into the shop for repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tow

2 of 2

noun

as in tug

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 tow
Verb
For Lynn Parsons, knocking on a stranger’s door once made the difference between getting home and watching her car get towed away. — Razak Diallo, Baltimore Sun, 23 Aug. 2026 Rose Byrne stars as a Seattle woman living out of her Toyota Camry whose vehicle is stolen and towed. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
Drivers who believe their car was wrongfully towed have 14 days to request a tow hearing, where a judge decides whether the tow and any fees were justified. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2026 The car drew suspicion at the tow yard after a worker noticed a strong smell of decay and the presence of flies around the car. — Claudia Rosenbaum, Vulture, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tow
  1. pull
  2. tug
  3. haul
  4. drag
  5. wrench
  6. draw
  7. jerk
Verb
  • Pratt fouled off Thornton’s first pitch and then pulled back his bat on the second one, a fastball right down the middle.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate militarily, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked.
    — Tucker Reals, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pull
Noun
  • To keep your dog safe, only tug from side to side as lifting the rope toy can damage your dog’s spine.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • If your toddler stubbornly digs their heels in, don’t allow yourself to be drawn into a potty training tug of war.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tug
Verb
  • More than 200 walruses were hauled out on the beach, grunting and groaning, wriggling and jostling for position.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Beckham lunged and tried to haul it in, but the ball bobbled incomplete.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of haul
Noun
  • The study also computed the pre-tax and after-tax returns for overlapping 30-year periods and found that the tax drag varied over time.
    — Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Rivalries are a defining aspect of the drama on Palm Royale, but in season two, the claws literally came out in a knock-down, drag-across-the-house showdown between Kristen Wiig’s Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons and Claudia Ferri’s Raquel Kimberly-Marco.
    — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Noun
  • When referee Rick Knox confiscated the belt, Christian loaded up his wrist brace with a wrench.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • And then Casey, my middle child, picked up the wrench and brought it in to me.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrench
Noun
  • Despite being technically undefeated — two wins and two unspectacular draws, as Alice and Beard are quick to point out — the players seem more enthused for what their respective groups have done rather than the team’s collective achievement.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Serena is not set to play singles, but Venus, 46, received a wild card for that draw, too.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of draw
Noun
  • The latter accidentally does happen, which leads to power struggles between the bigoted jerk and our trio of heroines.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Duffy, for his part, came across as a real jerk at times, but surprisingly charming at others, with a half-nerd, half-jock mien—sweepy hair, big glasses, a megawatt smile—that put me in mind of a Wisconsin Sam Seaborn.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerk

Browse Nearby Words

touts
tow
toward
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Cite this Entry

“Tow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tow. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tow

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tow

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