hollow out
phrasal verb
hollowed out; hollowing out; hollows out
1
: to remove the inside of (something) : to make an empty space in (something)
The kids were hollowing out pumpkins.
a hollowed-out log
2
: 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
This dump-and-bake casserole delivers all that creamy, crispy, cheesy magic without the hassle of hollowing out a bunch of spuds.
—
Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Some parts of the agency would be nearly hollowed out.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2025
And here, independent witnesses serving as citizen journalists play a critical role expanding coverage to places and audiences that hollowed out local newsrooms struggle to reach.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
In March, the administration hollowed out the department’s Office of Civil Rights — including entire investigative teams in the majority of regions — leaving thousands of pending cases in limbo, according to the New York Times.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hollow out
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Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Some parts of the agency would be nearly hollowed out.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2025
And here, independent witnesses serving as citizen journalists play a critical role expanding coverage to places and audiences that hollowed out local newsrooms struggle to reach.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
In March, the administration hollowed out the department’s Office of Civil Rights — including entire investigative teams in the majority of regions — leaving thousands of pending cases in limbo, according to the New York Times.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hollow out
Cite this Entry
“Hollow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hollow%20out. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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