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
Oyer’s lawsuits and congressional testimony could force the release of internal DOJ communications, while lawmakers may seek further hearings on clemency practices, conflicts of interest, and the reported hollowing out of key DOJ divisions.
—
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Particularly linked to the Gauteng province and Johannesburg, South Africa’s spatlo sandwich (often called kota, loosely translated as quarter) is made from a quarter loaf of bread that’s been hollowed out and stacked to the max with meat and much more.
—Terry Ward, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Other underfunded programs—including cybersecurity and public health—hollow out internal capacities that protect the homeland.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2025
Yet another former prime minister reaching the end of the road in his legal battle to exonerate himself suggests a deeper hollowing out and evisceration of Pakistan’s legal institutions.
—Rafia Zakaria, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Particularly linked to the Gauteng province and Johannesburg, South Africa’s spatlo sandwich (often called kota, loosely translated as quarter) is made from a quarter loaf of bread that’s been hollowed out and stacked to the max with meat and much more.
—Terry Ward, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Other underfunded programs—including cybersecurity and public health—hollow out internal capacities that protect the homeland.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2025
Yet another former prime minister reaching the end of the road in his legal battle to exonerate himself suggests a deeper hollowing out and evisceration of Pakistan’s legal institutions.
—Rafia Zakaria, Time, 6 Nov. 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 29 Nov. 2025.
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