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
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
This could hollow out support mechanisms.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
In the 1980s, the Construction Differential Subsidy was abolished, hollowing out the commercial base.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
This dump-and-bake casserole delivers all that creamy, crispy, cheesy magic without the hassle of hollowing out a bunch of spuds.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hollow out
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Rafia Zakaria, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
This could hollow out support mechanisms.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
In the 1980s, the Construction Differential Subsidy was abolished, hollowing out the commercial base.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
This dump-and-bake casserole delivers all that creamy, crispy, cheesy magic without the hassle of hollowing out a bunch of spuds.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 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 9 Nov. 2025.
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