hole-in-the-wall

noun

ˈhōl-in-ṯẖə-ˈwȯl 

plural holes-in-the-wall

: a small and often unpretentious out-of-the-way place (such as a restaurant)

Examples of hole-in-the-wall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Toward the beginning of the episode, the group sits down to eat at a hole-in-the-wall barbecue spot and the camera swings around the table in a sweeping circular motion, capturing everyone laughing, bonding and sharing a meal. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026

Beyond the buzzy openings and the hottest reservations in town, the Queen City is stacked with neighborhood gems, secret speakeasies, hole-in-the-wall taquerias and even a gas station deli that’s been quietly slinging Southern classics for nearly four decades. — Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026

The Library, a delightfully ratty East Village hole-in-the-wall, is no exception. — Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 29 May 2026

And some fabulous ones are being served at Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails, a real gem of a hole-in-the-wall in East Colfax Avenue’s Bluebird District. — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hole-in-the-wall

• chloramphenicol
• dithiothreitol
• geospatial
• isopropanol
• paracetamol
• peroxisomal
• visuospatial
• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol