gouge out
phrasal verb
gouged out; gouging out; gouges out
1
: to remove (something) by digging or cutting
The impact of the accident gouged a big piece out of the wall.
He threatened to gouge my eyes out.
2
: to make (a hole or path) by digging or cutting
The river gouged out a wide path between the mountains.
Examples of gouge out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Adult men were lynched, but this was the first time a child was dragged out of his home and had his eye gouged out.
—
Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
The foot-and-a-half long shark latches onto prey with suction lips, digs in with its razor-sharp teeth, and spins its body to gouge out a plug of flesh.
—Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 26 July 2023
Louis Jackson, 23, a shipyard worker, had an eye gouged out after being jumped at 3rd Street and Santa Fe Avenue.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
The foot-and-a-half long shark latches onto prey with suction lips, digs in with its razor-sharp teeth, and spins its body to gouge out a plug of flesh.
—Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 26 July 2023
Louis Jackson, 23, a shipyard worker, had an eye gouged out after being jumped at 3rd Street and Santa Fe Avenue.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gouge out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gouge out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gouge%20out. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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