1
a
: an opening through something : perforation
The coat has a hole in it.
a bullet hole
b
: an area where something is missing
His mother's death left a hole in his life.
: gap: such as
(2)
: an opening in a defensive formation
a running back's ability to find holes in the defensive line
especially
: the area of a baseball field between the positions of shortstop and third baseman
(3)
: a defect in a crystal (as of a semiconductor) that is due to an electron's having left its normal position in one of the crystal bonds and that is equivalent in many respects to a positively charged particle
2
: a hollowed-out place
a hole in an apple
: such as
a
: a cave, pit, or well in the ground
dug a large hole with a steam shovel
b
: burrow
a rabbit hole
c
: an unusually deep place in a body of water (such as a river)
3
a
: a wretched or dreary place
How could anyone live in such a hole?
b
: a prison cell especially for solitary confinement
threw him in the hole for two days
4
a
golf
: a shallow cylindrical hole or hollowed-out place in the putting green of a golf course into which the ball is played
b
: a part of the golf course from tee (see tee entry 2 sense 2) to putting green
just beginning play on the third hole
also
: the play on such a hole as a unit of scoring
won the hole by two strokes
5
a
: an awkward position or circumstance : fix
got the rebels out of a hole at the battle—
Kenneth Roberts
Kenneth Roberts
b
: a position of owing or losing money
$10 million in the hole
raising money to get out of the hole
holed; holing
1
: to make an opening through or a hollowed-out place in (as by cutting, digging, boring, or shooting at) : to make a hole (see hole entry 1) in
The ship was holed along the waterline by enemy fire.
2
: to drive or hit into a hole
hole a putt
The dogs holed the fox.
: to make an opening through or a hollowed-out place in something : to make a hole in something
Examples of hole in a Sentence
Noun
I have a hole in my sock.
He fixed the hole in the roof.
a mouse hole in the wall
The dog dug a deep hole.
Her putt rolled right into the hole.
She made a birdie on the seventh hole.
The course has 18 holes.
Verb
She holed a long putt for a birdie.
holed the target with a round of shots
Recent Examples on the Web
Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 13 May 2025
The screws may loosen and allow engine oil to leak from the screw holes, according to the recall report.
—James Powel, USA Today, 13 May 2025
Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Dunkin' fans will also notice a bold new energy drink, a whimsical cotton candy donut, and blueberry donut holes.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hole
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The pots are thoughtfully designed with a drainage hole to avoid overwatering, enhance proper airflow, and keep your plants healthy.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 13 May 2025
The screws may loosen and allow engine oil to leak from the screw holes, according to the recall report.
—James Powel, USA Today, 13 May 2025
Verb
But while Thomas holed his 21-foot putt for birdie, Novak failed to do the same with the 31-foot putt in front of him, giving his rival his first title in three years.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Dunkin' fans will also notice a bold new energy drink, a whimsical cotton candy donut, and blueberry donut holes.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hole
Cite this Entry
“Hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hole. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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