forklift

noun

fork·​lift ˈfȯrk-ˌlift How to pronounce forklift (audio)
: 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
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.
Every fall, regional growers lug their pumpkins – often via some combination of truck, trailer, and forklift – to Topsfield, Massachusetts, where an eponymous fair acts as these growers’ Super Bowl. — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026 Fuel-cell forklifts are zero-emission, can be refueled quickly, maintain consistent power throughout a shift, and eliminate the space required for battery charging and change-out infrastructure. — Josh McMorrow, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 About 52 percent of their skills, such as lifting, quality control, and operating equipment like forklifts, would transfer, and the move comes with a meaningful raise. — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 Todd Engel had operated heavy machinery, like forklifts and rubber-tire loaders, around warehouses and highways in suburban Maryland for four decades. — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forklift

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forklift was in 1944

Rhymes for forklift

See All Rhymes for forklift

Browse Nearby Words

forkless
forklift
forklike
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forklift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forklift. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

forklift

noun
fork·​lift ˈfȯr-ˌklift How to pronounce forklift (audio)
: a machine for lifting heavy objects by means of steel fingers inserted under the load
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All