hollow out

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

Thousands of reduction-in-force cuts hollowed out divisions and departments, though some of those were reinstated after legal action. —Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026

As the enforcement surge recedes, Frey is trying to knit together a city where businesses and daily life were hollowed out by fear. —Julia Terruso, Time, 15 Apr. 2026

Think of it as hollowing out the wood and turning it into a highly porous sponge—but one that still retains its directional structure. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 12 Apr. 2026

The company’s paper calls for shifting the tax base away from payroll and labor income—the very revenue streams that AI threatens to hollow out—and toward corporate income and capital gains. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for hollow out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout