plural caves
1
: a natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff
2
: a usually underground chamber for storage
a wine cave
also
: the articles stored there
3
: a place providing privacy or seclusion from others
When a friend dragged her out of her cave to go salsa dancing for the first time, the rhythms … stepped into her soul …—
Leslie Guttman
see also man cave
Leslie Guttman
caved; caving
1
: to fall in or down especially from being undermined
—usually used with in
2
: to cease to resist : submit
—usually used with in
: to cause to fall or collapse
—usually used with in
Examples of cave in a Sentence
Noun
Kentucky's Mammoth Cave is actually a series of large chambers on five levels.
Verb (2)
the wall caved in when a tree fell on it
I caved in to my bibliomania and bought two more books last week
Recent Examples on the Web
Isabelle Rodney, CNN Money, 29 June 2025
Dug initially for chalk and flint, the caves were later used for a variety of purposes, including a World War II air-raid shelter that housed thousands of Londoners.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
It is still widely expected a new deal will get done in the near future, but neither side is caving in to the other just yet.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cave
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Noun
It is said to have begun in the sixth century, when pilgrimages in honor of Haro’s patron saint, San Felice, were made to the caves where he was buried.
—Isabelle Rodney, CNN Money, 29 June 2025
Dug initially for chalk and flint, the caves were later used for a variety of purposes, including a World War II air-raid shelter that housed thousands of Londoners.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
In a sudden reversal, Canada has caved and will remove its digital services tax after trade talks with the US suddenly fell apart this weekend.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
It is still widely expected a new deal will get done in the near future, but neither side is caving in to the other just yet.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cave
Cite this Entry
“Cave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cave. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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