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:
Helped Lawson with a tow on Saturday and then charged through to score the final point on Sunday.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 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
Crucially, EREVs can use gas to tow heavy loads without running out of range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 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
They used the current of the river to tow a barge with the obelisk lying on top of a huge wooden sled.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
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
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
Also included is a first allotment of sophisticated TOW antitank missile systems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2022
The United States has already eyed retiring vehicles such as Humvees and MRAPs and weapons such as the TOW.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 22, 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
Six days a week, Mr. Sawan, 55, a father of five, tows batches of fruit that weigh 1,500 pounds to a nearby processing plant, often as planes buzz overhead, misting down pesticides.
From New York Times ● Dec. 30, 2023
The Poma surface lift, two rope tows, tubing area and small terrain park are a charming, no-frills ski destination, one of just three ski hills located in a national park.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 12, 2023
It starts with sharing my story — and sharing why it’s so important to end poverty tows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2023
Other days, in the hours after lessons, Werner tows his little sister through the mine complex in a wagon he has assembled from cast-off parts.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
The Air Canada flight was being towed to its gate when the other plane made contact with its tail, an Air Canada spokesperson told NBC 4 news.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The social media content also showed that two of the vehicles had to be towed by the group after becoming stuck, causing further harm to the environment.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 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
Emergency responders surrounded each vessel with four firefighting tugboats, separated them and towed them away from critical port infrastructure while battling the flames.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
I didn’t see a gun on his belt, but I spotted a baseball bat rolling around in the little cart he towed behind him.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
Ewart, like others, didn’t see the newer inline-six engine as reliable and robust for towing as the old-school engine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 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
Footage on social media has emerged showing a Greek coast guard boat towing the several metre-long drone to the port.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
It was towing a hay cart which bounced wildly from side to side.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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