I've never used a winch before. Could you show me how?
Source: tatoeba (6339544)
Winch
/wɪnt͡ʃ/
Synonyms for "winch" (29 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: windlass, anchor winch, capstan, capstans, companion.
- Sentence evidence is available for winch, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "winch".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "winch"
Keep "winch" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "winch" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "winch", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "winch" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesMore specific
10 entriesanchor windlasscable windingdeck winchelectric winchelectric winchinghand winchmanual winchingrecovery winchrope windingtow winch
Collocations
5 entrieselectric winchhand winchhydraulic winchwinch cablewinch drum
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
70 translations across 42 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- argano noun (machine)
Arabic
1 entries- مِلْفَاف noun (machine)
Bulgarian
2 entries- лебе́дка noun (machine)
- макара noun (machine)
Catalan
2 entries- cabrestant noun (machine)
- gigre noun (machine)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 絞盤 /绞盘 noun (machine)
- 絞車 /绞车 noun (machine)
Czech
1 entries- naviják noun (machine)
Danish
2 entries- spil noun (machine)
- trækspil noun (machine)
Dutch
2 entries- lier noun (machine)
- windas noun (machine)
Esperanto
1 entries- vinĉo noun (machine)
Estonian
1 entries- vints noun (machine)
Finnish
2 entries- vinssi noun (machine)
- vintturi noun (machine)
French
1 entries- treuil noun (machine)
Galician
3 entries- guincho noun (machine)
- guindastre noun (machine)
- torno noun (machine)
Georgian
1 entries- ჯალამბარი noun (machine)
German
2 entries- Winde noun (machine)
- Winsch noun (machine)
Hungarian
1 entries- csörlő noun (machine)
Icelandic
1 entries- vinda noun (machine)
Italian
4 entries- argano noun (machine)
- bozzello noun (machine)
- salpareti noun (machine)
- verricello noun (machine)
Japanese
1 entries- ウインチ noun (machine)
Kazakh
1 entries- шығыр noun (machine)
Korean
1 entries- 원치 noun (machine)
Latgalian
1 entries- svērte noun (machine)
Latin
1 entries- sucula noun (machine)
Latvian
1 entries- vinda noun (machine)
Macedonian
2 entries- ди́галка noun (machine)
- че́крек noun (machine)
Māori
1 entries- huritaura noun (machine)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- vinsj noun (machine)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- vinsj noun (machine)
Old English
1 entries- wince noun (machine)
Ottoman Turkish
3 entries- ارغات noun (machine)
- بوجرغات noun (machine)
- چقرق noun (machine)
Polish
2 entries- kołowrót noun (machine)
- wciągarka noun (machine)
Portuguese
1 entries- molinete noun (machine)
Russian
2 entries- во́рот noun (machine)
- лебёдка noun (machine)
Slovak
2 entries- navijak noun (machine)
- rumpál noun (machine)
Slovene
1 entries- vitel noun (machine)
Spanish
4 entries- argue (disused) noun (machine)
- argüe (disused) noun (machine)
- cabestrante noun (machine)
- cabrestante noun (machine)
Swahili
1 entries- winchi noun (machine)
Swedish
1 entries- vinsch noun (machine)
Tagalog
1 entries- biling-bilingan noun (machine)
Turkish
2 entries- vinç noun (machine)
- ırgat noun (machine)
Welsh
2 entries- dirwynlath noun (machine)
- winsh noun (machine)
Zazaki
1 entries- vinç noun (machine)
Sample sentences
13 total sentences available.
I've never used a winch before.
Source: tatoeba (6350288)
Tom was so heavy in full armour that he had to be hoisted into his horse's saddle by a winch. No sooner had the ropes been withdrawn than the animal collapsed under his weight.
Source: tatoeba (8933078)
The five-and-a-half-meter-diameter balloon is tethered with a winch cable to an airport pickup truck.
Source: tatoeba (11305462)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "winch"?
Closest matches include windlass, anchor winch, capstan, capstans, companion.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "winch"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.