hoist 1 of 2

verb

ˈhȯist How to pronounce hoist (audio)
Definition of hoistnext
1
as in to heave
to lift with effort dockworkers hoisted all 164 barrels of molasses out of the ship's hold when it arrived in port

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position hoisted the flag on the flagpole

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to sip
to swallow in liquid form I have time to hoist a couple beers before heading home

Synonyms & Similar Words

hoist

2 of 2

noun

as in raising

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
The two teams faced off against each other 11 years ago during Super Bowl 49, with the Patriots hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the night. —Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026 One has to wonder though, what if 40-year-old John Madden never gets hoisted into the air following this victory. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Tennessee Army National Guard ended up sending a Black Hawk and dropping a long hoist cable. —Paige Williams, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026 The team then called for assistance from the Colorado National Guard (CNG), which sent a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter equipped with a hoist to the scene. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hoist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoist
  1. heave
  2. lift
  3. sip
  4. raising
  5. raise
  6. drink
  7. takeoff
  8. gulp
Verb
  • This rapid release likely caused the soil to heave upward, resulting in the minor floor damage.
    — Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Cover Exposed Roots Sometimes heavy ice and snow heaves newer plants out of the ground.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of heave
Verb
  • By Wednesday morning, the restrictions were suddenly lifted, leaving the city’s airport in confusion for several hours.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Erewhon is pushing its wellness footprint further into aesthetics — starting with lip flips and brow lifts — as the lines between self care and cosmetic treatments continue to blur.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of lift
Verb
  • In a video shared on X by a fan account, the 36-year-old is seen chatting with some pals while sipping a drink.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Not surprisingly, the 1,500-square-foot space has had a steady stream of traffic since the announcement was made, as customers flock to take home their favorite French pastries and sip a café noisette.
    — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of sip
Noun
  • Over the next few weeks, Luria believes that OpenAI will exceed investors’ expectations with regards to its model performance and capital raising, which should help drive significant positive stock performances for the main companies in its orbit.
    — Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Canada’s foreign minister Anita Anand and Canadian Governor General Mary Simon arrived in Nuuk earlier Friday to officially open their country’s consulate with a flag raising ceremony.
    — Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of raising
Verb
  • The health care company also raised its forecast range for profit this fiscal year.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
  • In the wake of Bad Bunny's halftime show selection in September, many critics raised concerns about a potential language barrier for English-language viewers.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of raise
Verb
  • The hanging quickly devolves into an all-out bacchanal, as onlookers drink, dance and kiss in the square surrounding the flailing corpse.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The appeal was lost on holdovers accustomed to drivers rough around the edges, with a Southern drawl, drinking a beer in Victory Lane.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of drink
Noun
  • The more advanced sibling to the quad is a quad axel, which requires a forward-facing takeoff and a full four-and-a-half revolutions in the air.
    — Kelly O'Grady, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
  • During takeoff and landing, Helix sounds roughly like a couple of leaf blowers.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of takeoff
Verb
  • Yes, gulping the liquid the night before was an ordeal — try drinking three liters of anything in three hours, going to sleep, then waking up six hours later for one final liter.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Protostars are messy and dynamic, gulping down material in spurts and fits and ejecting powerful outflows of wind and jets that punch into the surrounding clouds.
    — Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Definition of gulp

Browse Nearby Words

hoi polloi
hoist
hoisted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hoist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoist. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hoist

Nglish: Translation of hoist for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hoist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

'Buck naked' or 'butt naked'?

What does 'etcetera' mean?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?

Why Is the Letter ‘Z’ Associated With Sleeping?

The Words of the Week - Feb. 13

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?
See More

Popular

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?
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
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All