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

Japan’s constitution has been hollowed out After World War II, Japan was not supposed to have a military. —Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025

As discussed with the World Economic Forum, erasing this labor supply hollows out the tax base that underpins the American middle class. —Katica Roy, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025

Its trappings remain, but authoritarianism and AI are hollowing out our humanity. —Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025

By hollowing out pluralism and delegitimizing their opponents, these leaders, to varying degrees, roll back political rights and civil liberties. —Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for hollow out

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