sinkhole
noun
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Definition of sinkhole
1 : a hollow place or depression in which drainage collects
2 : a hollow in a limestone region that communicates with a cavern or passage
3 : sink sense 2
4 : something (such as an unprofitable investment) that steadily drains money or resources a financial sinkhole
Examples of sinkhole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Counting Crows were supposed to perform there again last year, but a sinkhole opened up backstage that forced them to cancel the show. — Yoshi Kato, SFChronicle.com, "Counting Crows celebrate 25 years of music, hold no grudges," 27 June 2018 Both reporters noted that the sinkhole (which is actually this administration’s stripper name) was located outside of the entrance to the briefing room. — Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root, "In an Attempt to Help America, the Earth Tries to Swallow Up Trump’s White House," 22 May 2018 The sinkhole in the street had opened up by late morning last Wednesday. — Karen Caffarini, Post-Tribune, "City engineer says Hobart told INDOT last year about depression in street where sinkhole opened," 19 Apr. 2018 The sinkhole opened up around 2 p.m. on the outbound lanes of Independence Boulevard near Village Lake Drive. — charlotteobserver, "Independence Blvd. to be closed another day after water main break causes sinkhole | Charlotte Observer," 10 Apr. 2018 Related Among the mass graves yet to be excavated is a natural sinkhole south of Mosul believed to be the largest one of all, where the militants disposed of hundreds, if not thousands, of their victims. — Isabel Coles And, WSJ, "Iraq Struggles to Exhume and Identify Slaughtered Victims of Islamic State," 4 Apr. 2018 The family’s mysterious deaths come amid increased travel warnings to Quintana Roo state, which is home to Tulum — a popular destination for those looking to explore Mayan ruins or snorkel in limestone sinkholes. — Marwa Eltagouri, Washington Post, "American family of four found dead while on vacation in Mexico, police say," 23 Mar. 2018 Last week, a giant sinkhole opened up in Fukuoka, Japan. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Japan's Giant Sinkhole Is Already Totally Gone," 15 Nov. 2016 Last year, the massive rainfall from Hurricane Harvey led to a significant sinkhole in the 3900 block of FM762. — Julian Gill, Houston Chronicle, "Sewage leaks likely a factor in Houston sinkholes, expert says," 10 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sinkhole.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for sinkhole
sinkhole
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sinkhole
: a low area or hole in the ground that is formed especially when soil and rocks are removed by flowing water
See the full definition for sinkhole in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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