pothole

noun

pot·​hole ˈpät-ˌhōl 

1

a

: a circular hole formed in the rocky bed of a river by the grinding action of stones or gravel whirled round by the water

b

: a sizable rounded often water-filled depression in land

2

: a pot-shaped hole in a road surface

3

: a usually minor difficulty or setback

hit a pothole in her comeback attempt

potholed

ˈpät-ˌhōld 

adjective

Examples of pothole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Loren Taylor, a former Oakland City Council member, has gained traction with voters as a moderate candidate who has pledged to fix potholes, reduce crime and shorten 911 response times. —Soumya Karlamangla, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025

The underlying assumption is that planning can avoid deep potholes. —Allen Best, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025

Courtenay Brown 39 mins ago - Business Trump stares down early economic potholes Buy your local economist a drink: The economic backdrop is more chaotic and uncertain than it's been in years — a result of fast-moving and sometimes vague Trump policy. —Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 6 Mar. 2025

That was reduced to one report per pothole after Soriano got a call from a city representative instructing the group to do so. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for pothole

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

pothole

noun

pot·​hole ˈpät-ˌhōl 

: a deep round hole (as in a road)