tow truck

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of tow truck

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

For a scene where Valentina has an encounter with a tow truck driver, they simply called a tow yard hoping someone interesting would show up.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree brings the rusty, old tow truck character from the “Cars” movie to life in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

The roadside-assistance company Ortego works for pays for gas on the tow truck he was driving Thursday, which now takes $110 to fill up instead of the $70 it cost last month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 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

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan