backhoe

noun

back·​hoe ˈbak-ˌhō How to pronounce backhoe (audio)
: an excavating machine having a bucket that is attached to a rigid bar hinged to a boom and that is drawn toward the machine in operation

Examples of backhoe in a Sentence

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.
Special backhoes will skim that top layer of soil off the top. Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026 Only a handful of men still work for the company at Pennsuco, raising the few dozen calves and heifers and repairing the old tractors and backhoes. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026 The first night of the trail ride, men spent hours digging a dirt pit with a backhoe for the overnight pig roast in a field at the edge of Prairie View A&M University. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026 Kondayya puts some of the blame for the crash on the city, alleging the backhoe was parked illegally. Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for backhoe

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backhoe was in 1928

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Cite this Entry

“Backhoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhoe. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

backhoe

noun
back·​hoe -ˌhō How to pronounce backhoe (audio)
: a large machine that digs into the earth with a metal scoop drawn toward the machine

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