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\ ˈwinch 
\
\Definition of winch
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : any of various machines or instruments for hauling or pulling especially : a powerful machine with one or more drums on which to coil a rope, cable, or chain for hauling or hoisting : windlass
2 : a crank with a handle for giving motion to a machine (such as a grindstone)
winch
verbwinched; winching; winches
Definition of winch (Entry 2 of 2)
: to hoist or haul with or as if with a winch
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Examples of winch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The houseboat had reportedly drifted about 18 miles down the river with a large tree lodged underneath the vessel, anchor and winch.
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Fox News, "Flood rescue in Australia results in helicopter landing on houseboat in 'unusual experience'," 13 Feb. 2020 Law required riverboat captains to use a winch-and-rope apparatus to pull their boats through the risky pass but the operation took three hours and Simp wasn’t a patient man.
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Kelly Kazek | Kkazek@al.com, al, "The legend of Alabama riverboat captain Simp McGhee," 13 Feb. 2020 For ½- to ¾-ton Ford, Chevy, and Toyota trucks, Warn offers their Ascent front bumper which can handle a winch rated up to 12,000 pounds.
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Richard Mann, Field & Stream, "12 Badass Overland Accessories for Your Hunting Truck," 25 Nov. 2019 When the team retrieves the carousel, a gray cylindrical frame outfitted with sensors and large sampling bottles, the winch is too feeble to hoist it on deck.
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Paul Voosen, Science Magazine, "A project to monitor every aspect of a fast-shrinking glacier could hold an answer to an urgent question: How fast will seas rise?," 10 Oct. 2019 But while New Zealand's radical approach using leg power to grind the winches in Bermuda has been banned, the freedom for innovation is huge.
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Rob Hodgetts, CNN, "America's Cup: Revolutionary 'flying' yachts take Auld Mug into new realm," 23 Dec. 2019 Bresky shouted through a porthole to the winch operator.
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Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "With duct tape and 72 magnets, scientists are looking for a meteor on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Will they find it?," 28 Aug. 2019 With the tide coming in, rescuers with a local 4x4 club quickly hooked two winch lines to the semi truck and used a Jeep and a super-duty truck to pull the semi to safety.
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oregonlive, "Truck mishap raises question: Should vehicles be banned from Oregon beaches?," 1 Nov. 2019 The scientists, too, have to improvise around limitations such as the Jensen's 1960s vintage winch.
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Paul Voosen, Science Magazine, "A project to monitor every aspect of a fast-shrinking glacier could hold an answer to an urgent question: How fast will seas rise?," 10 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The 21-year-old Air Force medic chose to drop down and help winch soldiers up to the chopper.
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Mark Kennedy, Detroit Free Press, "‘Last Full Measure’ fumbles its proud mission," 23 Jan. 2020 Firefighters winched from helicopters to reach the cluster of fewer than 200 Wollemi Pines in a remote gorge in the Blue Mountains a week before a wildlife bore down, National Parks and Wildlife Service Director David Crust said.
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Rod Mcguirk, BostonGlobe.com, "Australia firefighters save world’s only rare dinosaur trees," 16 Jan. 2020 Firefighters winched from helicopters to reach the cluster of fewer than 200 Wollemi Pines in a remote gorge in the Blue Mountains a week before a massive wildlife bore down, National Parks and Wildlife Service Director David Crust said.
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Rod Mcguirk, Anchorage Daily News, "Australians save world’s only ‘dinosaur trees’ from bush fires," 16 Jan. 2020 Large air tankers of fire retardant were dropped inside the remote grove as part of the mission, while specialist firefighters attached to helicopters were winched down to set up an irrigation system to protect the trees from catching alight.
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Sara Spary, CNN, "Australia's prehistoric Wollemi pine trees saved from bushfires in secret government mission," 15 Jan. 2020 The boys winched the carcass up to the Jeep and likely had backstraps for supper.
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Pj Delhomme, Outdoor Life, "The Top 40 Typical and Nontypical Mule Deer of All Time," 1 Jan. 2020 Loading a dart, winching back the bows, and taking aim means a lousy rate of fire.
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William Gurstelle, Popular Mechanics, "The Real History of the Ballista, Game of Thrones' Anti-Dragon Weapon," 6 May 2019 After being presented with the Pitts & Sons evidence Tuesday, MPD attorney Wanda Rahman advised Barber that winching was allowed.
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Christopher Harress | Charress@al.com, al, "Mobile lifts towing ban, but continues investigation," 10 Sep. 2019 The Coast Guard moved in quickly to rescue 20 of the men onboard when the ship overturned Sunday, winching the men one by one aboard a hovering helicopter.
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Russ Bynum, chicagotribune.com, "4 crew members on overturned cargo ship waited 36 hours in darkness, extreme heat before rescue," 10 Sep. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'winch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for winch
winch
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of winch
: a machine that has a rope or chain and that is used for pulling or lifting heavy things
See the full definition for winch in the English Language Learners Dictionary
winch
noun\ ˈwinch \
\Kids Definition of winch
: a machine that has a roller on which rope is wound for pulling or lifting
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Time Traveler for winch
The first known use of winch was before the 12th century
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