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
Was the National Weather Service, one of the many federal agencies recently hollowed out by DOGE, properly staffed and equipped to forecast the floods?
—
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 July 2025
But redlining, urban renewal, and systemic divestment hollowed out the corridor over the decades.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
For example, the team might hollow out a log and fill it with vegetables rather than simply piling food on the ground.
—Ryley Graham, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2025
The current press secretary would love to talk about the hollowing out of the greenback in these crypto-forward times.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hollow out
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Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 July 2025
But redlining, urban renewal, and systemic divestment hollowed out the corridor over the decades.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
For example, the team might hollow out a log and fill it with vegetables rather than simply piling food on the ground.
—Ryley Graham, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2025
The current press secretary would love to talk about the hollowing out of the greenback in these crypto-forward times.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 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 16 Jul. 2025.
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