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; caves
1
: to cease to resist or oppose : to give in or submit to pressure
We kept asking her to come and she finally caved.
—usually used with inHe finally caved in to the pressure to resign.
2
: to fall in or down especially from being undermined
—usually used with in
The roof caved in on them.
: to cause to fall or collapse
—usually used with in
The weight of the snow caved in the roof.
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
John Tufts, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
The Guerlain Spa also has 16 treatment rooms, including 2 couples rooms, as well as a sauna, steam room, and—wait for it—an arctic cave.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 9 Dec. 2025
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
If Paramount raises its bid to shareholders, perhaps Netflix keeps bidding higher until Paramount caves.
—Alex Sherman,contessa Brewer, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cave
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Noun
Visitors can catch glimpses of the blind, nearly translucent fish who call the dark cave home.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
The Guerlain Spa also has 16 treatment rooms, including 2 couples rooms, as well as a sauna, steam room, and—wait for it—an arctic cave.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 9 Dec. 2025
Verb
Another clip captured that day shows a stove with part of the roof caved in on top of it.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
If Paramount raises its bid to shareholders, perhaps Netflix keeps bidding higher until Paramount caves.
—Alex Sherman,contessa Brewer, CNBC, 11 Dec. 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 15 Dec. 2025.
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