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

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

Cheese, carpets and certain household appliances like stoves and air conditioners will be subject to 25% tariffs, and forklifts and industrial molds will face 15% tariffs. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Together, the grants paid for 34 refrigeration devices, six food distribution vehicles, a dozen pallet jacks or forklifts, plus shelving and storage materials and hand trucks. — Sacbee.com, 7 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