tow truck

American  

noun

• tow trucks
  plural

1. wrecker.

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tow truck British  

noun

1. Also called: breakdown van.   wrecker.  a motor vehicle equipped for towing away wrecked or disabled cars

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tow trucks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tow truck

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tow truck

“I wondered what that meant — I thought it was some code,” the 33-year-old tow truck driver told me over a Zoom call this week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Damon Vescovi followed the tow truck ferrying Spivey’s body to the impound lot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

The video captures a car hooked up to a tow truck and what appears to be its owner running toward their vehicle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

Then all that’s left is the long, sad ride in the cab of a tow truck.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

If she notices that a car is in the wrong place, she’ll order a tow truck in no time flat.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina