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

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

Curbside, for instance, has begun training gig workers in how to do quick vehicle fixes that don’t require a tow truck or advanced equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 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

“The only way I know it was a tow truck was because of our home cameras. It’s the same strategy, backing up and taking the car in minutes,” Zavala said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2026

His sister lifted out his blue tow truck and put it on the floor.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry