: a hole through which one may go especially to gain access to an underground or enclosed structure
Examples of manhole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Safety systems decide which bridge, manhole and restaurant to inspect.
—
Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Even a manhole cover sends a tremor up through the vehicle; cracks that wouldn’t even register in a sedan can send your sunglasses flying off your head in the Claw.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 19 Jan. 2026
There was a manhole cover in a garage.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Trae Jones brought the sledgehammer down on the manhole cover, each strike loosening the cast-iron lid and cracking the fresh blacktop that had settled around its edges.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manhole
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.
Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Even a manhole cover sends a tremor up through the vehicle; cracks that wouldn’t even register in a sedan can send your sunglasses flying off your head in the Claw.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 19 Jan. 2026
There was a manhole cover in a garage.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Trae Jones brought the sledgehammer down on the manhole cover, each strike loosening the cast-iron lid and cracking the fresh blacktop that had settled around its edges.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manhole
Cite this Entry
“Manhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manhole. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
manhole
noun
man·hole
ˈman-ˌhōl 
: a covered hole (as in a pavement, tank, or boiler) through which a worker may go
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
