forklift

noun

fork·​lift ˈfȯrk-ˌlift 

: a self-propelled machine for hoisting and transporting heavy objects by means of steel fingers inserted under the load

Examples of forklift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ahead of this storm, Formica said workers secured dock lines, moved loose items and equipment out of harm’s way and parked the marina’s trucks and forklifts at the highest point of the property. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

Now the trucks were parking in the farm’s north field while a forklift began stacking the golden blocks. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

The forklift was hauling barriers into place outside the Kennedy Center, which closed its doors this week after the center’s Board of Directors voted to temporarily shut down the iconic Washington DC venue. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Others were owned by a forklift manufacturer in New Bremen, Ohio; a Long Island scrap-metal recycler; and a slew of auto dealers. — Eric Zwick, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for forklift

• adrift
• airlift
• facelift
• festschrift
• gearshift
• makeshift
• redshift
• sealift
• snowdrift
• spendthrift
• clift
• drift

Kids Definition

forklift

noun

fork·​lift ˈfȯr-ˌklift 

: a machine for lifting heavy objects by means of steel fingers inserted under the load