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 the essence of democracy — public debate over public policy — would be hollowed out entirely.
—
Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
While there are still hard-working, committed reporters doing incredible work, that institution has been systematically hollowed out.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Power has been centralized, norms hollowed out, and constraint redefined.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Not long ago one of the region’s richest nations, it was hollowed out by the Chavista socialist project.
—Juan Pablo Spinetto, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hollow out
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
While there are still hard-working, committed reporters doing incredible work, that institution has been systematically hollowed out.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Power has been centralized, norms hollowed out, and constraint redefined.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Not long ago one of the region’s richest nations, it was hollowed out by the Chavista socialist project.
—Juan Pablo Spinetto, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
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 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
