anthill

noun

ant·​hill ˈant-ˌhil How to pronounce anthill (audio)
: a mound of debris thrown up by ants or termites in digging their nest

Examples of anthill 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.
Over much of the preceding 2,055 days, the site had been a hive of industry, with teams cleaning marble mosaics, retouching frescoes and clambering over the anthill of scaffolding that filled the center of the landmark. Joseph Ataman, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024 Former California congresswoman Jackie Speier was just 28 years old in 1978 when she was shot five times by members of the Peoples Temple cult in Guyana and left to die on an anthill. Drew Goins, Washington Post, 19 July 2024 Like an anteater licking an anthill clean with its long, thin tongue. Haruki Murakami, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024 Still, Moiraine showed up and kicked the anthill nicely, by planting a sword directly in Lanfear's torso and then slitting her throat. Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 8 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for anthill 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anthill was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near anthill

Cite this Entry

“Anthill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthill. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

anthill

noun
ant·​hill ˈant-ˌhil How to pronounce anthill (audio)
: a mound made by ants in digging their nest

More from Merriam-Webster on anthill

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!