The hydrodynamic force on sediment particles is decomposed into two components, hydrodynamic drag and lift, whose estimations are made semiempirically by the introduction of drag and lift coefficients. A remarkable agreement on the estimation of drag coefficient has been attained in the literature. However, a generic consensus on the determination of lift coefficient so far remains unachievable. This article presents a state-of-the-art review of the hydrodynamic lift on sediment particles at an entrainment, highlighting the present status of lift coefficient in light of experimental observations and the theoretical foundation. The uncertainty in the estimation of hydrodynamic lift and different components of hydrodynamic lift in modeling the entrainment threshold of sediments are discussed. This article shows, for the first time, that there remains a prospect to obtain a generic consensus on the lift coefficient. Compiling and analyzing the lift coefficient data obtained from theoretical predictions, experimental observations, and numerical simulations, it is revealed that the lift coefficient data are somewhat collapsed to a thick band. This band, although subject to inevitable uncertainties, is found to provide a general consensus on the lift coefficient over a wide range of the particle Reynolds number. Finally, the article offers an insight into open questions and sheds light on how these challenges could be resolved. © 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.