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

The oil downturn and currency devaluation of the early 1980s shook Venezuelan society deeply, hollowing out the middle class and undermining trust in political institutions. —Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026

Meanwhile, nearly half of Mission Beach’s housing has been converted into whole‑home short‑term rentals, hollowing out the resident population and stripping the community of political influence. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026

As the city entered the first week of the year, the institutions meant to support Mitchellville were instead hollowing out. —Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 8 Jan. 2026

Years of authoritarian consolidation have hollowed out state institutions, politicized the military, weakened the judiciary and fragmented political opposition. —Cristina Guevara, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for hollow out

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