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
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
Remote and hybrid work schedules have played a villain’s role in the struggles of Bay Area downtowns, also hollowed out by society’s shift from in-person to online shopping.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Just as automation and outsourcing hollowed out factory jobs, AI is now doing the same to white-collar and creative work.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hollow out
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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
Remote and hybrid work schedules have played a villain’s role in the struggles of Bay Area downtowns, also hollowed out by society’s shift from in-person to online shopping.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Just as automation and outsourcing hollowed out factory jobs, AI is now doing the same to white-collar and creative work.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 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 19 Oct. 2025.
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