manhole

noun

man·​hole ˈman-ˌhōl How to pronounce manhole (audio)
: 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
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.
After the March spill, Veolia Water Milwaukee told the Journal Sentinel that there were numerous pipelines and manholes in close proximity at the location, and the workers picked the wrong one. Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025 Slice was about the size of a manhole cover. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2025 That just happened to coincide with a deluge of rain, enough to flood streets in downtown Miami and Fort Lauderdale, swamp some cars and send manhole covers and drains bubbling up with excess rainwater. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025 Rising through a manhole in the middle of a dark New York alley populated with drag queens and the colorful characters of Lower Manhattan, the ever-blond Carpenter sank into her daffy-meets-sultry routine. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manhole

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manhole was in 1769

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Manhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manhole. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

manhole

noun
man·​hole ˈman-ˌhōl How to pronounce manhole (audio)
: a covered hole (as in a pavement, tank, or boiler) through which a worker may go

More from Merriam-Webster on manhole

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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