1
: a building or structure typically higher than its diameter and high relative to its surroundings that may stand apart (such as a campanile) or be attached (such as a church belfry) to a larger structure and that may be fully walled in or of skeleton framework (such as an observation or transmission tower)
2
: a towering citadel : fortress
3
: one that provides support or protection : bulwark
a tower of strength
4
: a personal computer case that stands in an upright position

tower

2 of 2

verb

towered; towering; towers

intransitive verb

1
: to reach or rise to a great height
2
: to exhibit superior qualities : surpass
her intellect towered over the others'

Examples of tower in a Sentence

Noun a hill from which one can gaze upon the towers of that great and historic city Verb that actor's performance towered over all others in the film
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
With its own helicopter pad on the top of the 38-story tower, the Rolls-Royce showroom and Houston's only Bugatti dealership on the ground floor, you will be immersed in luxury from head to toe. Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 In downtown Bellevue alone, Microsoft vacated about 1.9 million square feet of office space, leaving all but a couple of floors in one office tower. Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Beyond the village, silvery olive groves stretch toward the famed Château Miraval wine estate and the spectacular Gorges du Verdon—where towering limestone canyons plunge into shimmering turquoise waters. Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025 In some places, towering walls rise to a thousand feet, while the canyon floor narrows to just 20 to 30 feet. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tower

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tour, tor, from Old English torr & Anglo-French tur, tour, both from Latin turris, from Greek tyrris, tyrsis

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tower was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Tower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tower. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

1
: a tall narrow building or structure that may stand by itself or be attached to a larger structure
2

tower

2 of 2 verb
: to reach or rise to a great height

More from Merriam-Webster on tower

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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