tow
verb (used with object)
to pull or haul (a car, barge, trailer, etc.) by a rope, chain, or other device.
tow
1 American
[toh]
/ toʊ /
verb (used with object)
-
tows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
towed,
past participle, past
-
towing
present participle
noun
-
an act or instance of towing.
-
something being towed.
-
something, as a boat or truck, that tows.
-
a rope, chain, metal bar, or other device for towing.
The trailer is secured to the car by a metal tow.
idioms
-
in tow,
-
in the state of being towed.
-
under one's guidance; in one's charge.
-
as a follower, admirer, or companion.
a professor who always had a graduate student in tow.
-
-
under tow, in the condition of being towed; in tow.
tow
2
American
[toh]
/ toʊ /
noun
-
the fiber of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning by beating.
-
the shorter, less desirable flax fibers separated from line fibers in combing.
-
synthetic filaments prior to spinning.
adjective
tow
3
American
[toh]
/ toʊ /
noun
Scot.
TOW
4
American
[toh]
/ toʊ /
noun
Military.
tow
1
British
/ təʊ /
verb
noun
-
the act or an instance of towing
-
the state of being towed (esp in the phrases in tow, under tow, on tow )
-
something towed
-
something used for towing
-
in one's charge or under one's influence
-
informal (in motor racing, etc) the act of taking advantage of the slipstream of another car (esp in the phrase get a tow )
-
short for ski tow
tow
2
British
/ təʊ /
noun
-
the fibres of hemp, flax, jute, etc, in the scutched state
-
synthetic fibres preparatory to spinning
-
the coarser fibres discarded after combing
tow
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
towsimple
-
towssimple
-
have towedperfect
-
has towedperfect
-
am towingprogressive
-
are towingprogressive
-
is towingprogressive
-
have been towingperfect progressive
-
has been towingperfect progressive
Past
-
towedsimple
-
had towedperfect
-
was towingprogressive
-
were towingprogressive
-
had been towingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tow1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb touen, towe, Old English togian “to pull by force, drag, pull”; cognate with Middle High German zogen, German ziehen “to draw, tug, drag”; the noun is derivative of the verb; see tug
Origin of tow2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tou, tow(e), tough “unworked flax,” Old English tōw- (in tōwlīc “pertaining to weaving,” tōwhūs “spinning house”); akin to Old Norse tō “wool”
Origin of tow3
First recorded in 1500–20; late Middle English (Scots); Old English toh- (in tohlīne “towline”); cognate with Old Norse tog “rope, line, towline”; see origin at tow 1
Origin of TOW4
First recorded in 1970–75; abbreviation of t(ube-launched), o(ptically-guided), w(ire-tracked missile)
Explanation
To tow something is to drag or pull it, the way a truck will tow your car away if you park it illegally. A boat can tow a smaller boat behind it, and a person can even tow another person: "I had to tow my little brother down the hall by his arm to get him to leave the party." You can use tow as a noun as well: "My car won't start. Can I get a tow to the gas station?" Sometimes the chain or rope that's used to tow something is also called a tow.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Global regulation would force them all to tow the line - and also remove some of the weight of responsibility from the industry itself.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Dozens of minibikes were loaded onto tow vehicles as, behind yellow tape, parents could be seen waiting to pick up their children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Antonelli was employed for much of the session in front of Russell to give him a tow, so to be beaten by an Alpine and be only 0.12secs ahead of Piastri was a disappointment.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
At least three people, including Robinson’s mom and Banks’ wife, have bodyguards in tow, some of them hulking and one with a tattooed head that bears the letters SOG, to signify “Son of God.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
They arrested him and called for a truck to tow his car.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
Most countries refused to sell them to Iran, so the unit started copying Soviet and North Korean designs, and later American Stinger and TOW antitank missiles captured in Afghanistan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
These vehicles carry fewer troops than Strykers can, though their thicker armor and armaments, including TOW missiles and a 25mm cannon, make them more suitable for direct combat.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 18, 2023
Most recently, the Pentagon announced that 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and 500 TOW anti-tank missiles would be drawn from U.S. stocks and sent to Ukraine.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 10, 2023
Washington is also looking at older, cheaper alternatives like giving Ukraine anti-tank TOW missiles, which are in plentiful supply, instead of Javelins, and Hawk surface-to-air missiles instead of newer versions.
From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2022
They could put it on a separate boat and TOW it to America.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
The drone tows a cable and module that generates sound and magnetic fields to trigger the mines while keeping sailors at a safe distance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
David Chiu, whose office later alleged that one of the couple’s companies was profiting from illegal tows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2025
The vehicle has been described as a semi-truck, consisting of a cab which tows a trailer.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2024
During her week aboard the vessel, Myers was able to track some 30 tows with a hydrophone that acts like an underwater recording microphone and was attached to a headrope of a net.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2023
Gabrielle returns with Bree, who tows my beauty caisse.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Unlike their land-based equivalents, their ability to float means they can be towed to different locations.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
According to the complaint filed against the agency, travelers waited for over an hour until a second train towed it to safety.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Not that many people can say they towed a rocket, right?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The fire department responded and checked our blood pressure and pulse, but both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
Crossing the Seine I saw a string of barges being towed empty down the current, riding high, the bargemen at the sweeps as they came toward the bridge.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
Recent examples include Ford trucks’ BlueCruise hands-free towing and the G.O.A.T. dial, for Goes Over Any Type of Terrain, in its Bronco lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
They are built to meet sky-high expectations of towing, hauling and cargo versatility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
They’re also pursuing more tickets and towing more electric vehicles when they’re not street legal or ridden by someone who is not legally allowed certain bikes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Police departments are also trying to educate the public before issuing citations or towing an illegal bike, but officials said it’s a challenge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Seabiscuit was now towing Ligaroti down the homestretch.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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