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hoist

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb hoist contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of hoist are boost, elevate, heave, lift, raise, and rear. While all these words mean "to move from a lower to a higher place or position," hoist implies lifting something heavy especially by mechanical means.

hoisted the cargo on board

When is it sensible to use boost instead of hoist?

The words boost and hoist are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, boost suggests assisting to climb or advance by a push.

boosted his brother over the fence

How does the word elevate relate to other synonyms for hoist?

Elevate may replace lift or raise especially when exalting or enhancing is implied.

elevated the taste of the public

When could heave be used to replace hoist?

In some situations, the words heave and hoist are roughly equivalent. However, heave implies lifting and throwing with great effort or strain.

heaved the heavy crate inside

When is lift a more appropriate choice than hoist?

The synonyms lift and hoist are sometimes interchangeable, but lift usually implies exerting effort to overcome resistance of weight.

lift the chair while I vacuum

Where would raise be a reasonable alternative to hoist?

The meanings of raise and hoist largely overlap; however, raise carries a stronger implication of bringing up to the vertical or to a high position.

scouts raising a flagpole

How are the words rear and raise related as synonyms of hoist?

Rear may add an element of suddenness to raise.

suddenly reared itself up on its hind legs

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hoist
Verb
Circumstances surrounding the victim’s location, extended extrication time and the nature of the injuries resulted in a request for Maryland State Police Aviation Command to perform an aerial hoist rescue, police said. Matt Hubbard, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2025 Nothing galvanizes a team on the cusp like seeing a division rival hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Geoffrey Knox, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025
Noun
The Aces have come on strong as of late, but the Lynx will enter the postseason as one of the clear favorites to hoist the championship trophy. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 But on Friday, after losing in straight sets to Alcaraz, having done so to Sinner at the French Open and Wimbledon, Djokovic, the archest of arch-competitors, effectively hoisted the white flag. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hoist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoist
Verb
  • Several mega-talented Georgia defensive backs appeared to short-circuit and forget how to track a ball in the air on Tennessee heaves.
    Jason Kirk, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The first was a 71-yard TD heave on the opening drive of the second half.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The lockdown was later lifted, but the university said access to campus would remain restricted to students, faculty, and staff with a valid school ID as local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies continued to investigate the threat.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This process lifts stains without increasing their surface area, which can be an issue when scrubbing by hand with a cloth or brush.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • She was seen sipping a glass of red wine at her birthday dinner party and blowing out the candles on her birthday cake.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
  • While the rest of the country starts to sip pumpkin spice lattes and bundle up in sweaters, the Keys are still warm as always, and just getting started for several months rich with activities and events.
    Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • She certainly has been affected by her human hand-raising, however.
    Terry DeMio, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Sep. 2025
  • What the Panama Playlists reveal The playlists range from ironic to eyebrow-raising, with some choices feeling almost too on the nose.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Among them were countless era-defining releases that are still among the best movies ever made—of any genre—from the haunting Rebecca to the gripping Rear Window, and the ravishing Vertigo to the hair-raising Psycho.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
  • There were times when raising kids, building careers, and paying bills felt overwhelming.
    Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Anyone who’s drinking hot pumpkin spice lattes in a chunky sweater may need to rein it in for a little while.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Delicious now, this will drink well for the next 4-6 years.
    Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • All but one of the 242 people on board Air India Flight 171 on June 12 were killed when the Boeing Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India.
    Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The strike occurred during takeoff, FedEx officials confirmed.
    Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • One night Icarius got all his friends together for a wine-tasting party that quickly got out of hand and turned into a wine-gulping party.
    Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The pressure is always on the taker, the player standing, gulping, trying desperately not to unload their lunch onto the turf, preparing to do something theoretically simple — kick the ball into the net from 12 yards with only one opponent able to stop them.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hoist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoist. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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