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
Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
For decades, the Algarve has been beloved for its endless sunny days and dramatic coastlines with its picturesque beaches, craggy cliffs, and hidden caves.
—Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Homewood's brother, Cyril Homewood, was home and killed when the storm caved their house in, the BBC said.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cave
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.
Noun
As the unloved surviving son of a cruel father, he was approached by a wizard who offered him gold to secretly feed a mysterious hedgehog-faced monster in a cave.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
For decades, the Algarve has been beloved for its endless sunny days and dramatic coastlines with its picturesque beaches, craggy cliffs, and hidden caves.
—Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
But Díaz-Balart, who sits on the House appropriations committee that helps draft spending bills, insists Republicans won’t cave to demands and is adamant short-term extensions are not the solution.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Homewood's brother, Cyril Homewood, was home and killed when the storm caved their house in, the BBC said.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 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 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share