open-pit
adjective
US
: involving the removal of the surface of a large area of land to get at a mineral or other material that is near to the surface
an open-pit mine
Examples of open-pit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mining resumed in the 1970s, when Earth Resources Corp. established the open-pit mine, and continued into the late 1990s.
—
Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
Even telescopes in darker, more secluded regions – like northern Chile or western Texas – experience light pollution from industrial activities like open-pit mining or oil and gas facilities.
—Richard Green, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Issues with the permitting process had halted the plans until the late 1980s, when Flambeau Mining Co., a subsidiary of Kennecott, reassessed the project and decided that the deposits could be sufficiently reached using only an open-pit mine for a short period.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The Red Chris open-pit mine was constructed in 2014 and was approved to produce gold and copper until 2038, according to British Columbia’s mining database.
—New York Times, 24 July 2025
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Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
Even telescopes in darker, more secluded regions – like northern Chile or western Texas – experience light pollution from industrial activities like open-pit mining or oil and gas facilities.
—Richard Green, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Issues with the permitting process had halted the plans until the late 1980s, when Flambeau Mining Co., a subsidiary of Kennecott, reassessed the project and decided that the deposits could be sufficiently reached using only an open-pit mine for a short period.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The Red Chris open-pit mine was constructed in 2014 and was approved to produce gold and copper until 2038, according to British Columbia’s mining database.
—New York Times, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for open-pit
Cite this Entry
“Open-pit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-pit. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.
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