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

But there’s clearly a pothole on this particular road to success. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026

Dashcam video provided by Huron Township Police Department showed the pursuit reaching speeds of 90 mph at times, on a route that included two-lane highways and dirt roads impacted with potholes. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026

This is a permanent fix for these potholes. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2026

The robots get stuck in potholes, can’t reach doorbells and are sometimes abused by humans. —Nilesh Christopher, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026

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)