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

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 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

At 6 a.m. in early December, an unlabeled white tow truck cruised into Jesse Roller’s Chino neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026

When Big Time reached the street a man was arguing with a policeman while a tow truck hooked up his car.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers