hollow out

phrasal verb

hollowed out; hollowing out; hollows out

: to remove the inside of (something) : to make an empty space in (something)

The kids were hollowing out pumpkins.

a hollowed-out log

: to form (something) by digging or cutting the inside of something

Workers hollowed out a tunnel through the mountain.

Examples of hollow out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With few survivors, the Hai Taieb synagogue was hollowed out. —

Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2024 According to Boothroyd, the cartridge had been hollowed out and appeared to be re-packed with glass and other debris. —

Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024 In the United States, in much of Europe, and also in developing democracies such as Brazil and India, democratic structures have been hollowed out. —

Felicia Wong, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2023 These measures, taken together, can yield near-unlimited power, and help an aspiring autocrat maintain their influence over the long-term, while democratic institutions are hollowed out. —

Tibor Dessewffy, TIME, 28 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for hollow out

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hollow out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.