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.
The state prosecutor's office went in with a backhoe, dogs and devices to find inconsistencies in the ground, but then the investigation inexplicably stalled. arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2025 The bribes started at $1,000 a week in 2013 and snowballed into $10,000 bonuses and expensive gifts including an Apple MacBook, a John Deere tractor with a backhoe and loader, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, according to Foley’s office. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2025 With the use of a backhoe and shovels, police scrambled to dig into 10 feet of mud, rocks and debris and found a part of a head and foot that apparently were those of the missing woman and child. Jim Gomez and Hau Dinh, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024 There are indications here and there of a rebuilding effort: Tyvek wrapping around houses, bulldozers and backhoes rumbling down streets, contractors’ signs staked into front yards. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backhoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhoe. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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

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