backhoe

noun

back·​hoe ˈbak-ˌhō How to pronounce backhoe (audio)
: an excavating machine having a bucket that is attached to a rigid bar hinged to a boom and that is drawn toward the machine in operation

Examples of backhoe 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.
Five years earlier, its GT backhoe loader set a speed record of more than 72 mph. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 13 May 2026 Only a handful of men still work for the company at Pennsuco, raising the few dozen calves and heifers and repairing the old tractors and backhoes. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026 Trucks hauling dirt and bulldozers and backhoes tearing into the earth were visible across the two-lane road that separates her from the data center site. — Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 6 May 2026 Build, play, and display this dynamic backhoe loader toy that’s on sale for $6 during Amazon Prime Day. — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for backhoe

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backhoe was in 1928

Rhymes for backhoe

See All Rhymes for backhoe

Browse Nearby Words

back-heel
backhoe
back home
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backhoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhoe. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

backhoe

noun
back·​hoe -ˌhō How to pronounce backhoe (audio)
: a large machine that digs into the earth with a metal scoop drawn toward the machine

More from Merriam-Webster on backhoe

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about backhoe

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