sinkhole

noun sink·hole \ ˈsiŋk-ˌhōl \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

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 2

4 : something (such as an unprofitable investment) that steadily drains money or resources

a financial sinkhole

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Recent Examples of sinkhole from the Web

But McCarthy said the state expects sinkholes to develop more often as pipes age.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "Spenard sinkhole signals a looming crisis over Anchorage’s aging drainpipes," 7 June 2018
On Friday, May 25, crews excavated an area around the small sinkhole on the north White House grounds.

— betsy klein, CNN, "Let it sink in: The White House sinkhole is no more," 29 May 2018
The Sunshine State has more sinkhole activity than any other state in the country.

— allie raffa, Fox News, "Sinkholes leave Florida neighborhood looking like cratered wasteland," 10 May 2018
Nine additional sinkholes have formed there in the past few years.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Why a Massive Sinkhole Tore Open in New Zealand," 7 May 2018
Not surprisingly, Twitter jokes about the Mar-a-Lago sinkhole came quickly.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "A Sinkhole Has Opened in Front of Mar-a-Lago," 23 May 2017
The sinkhole, confirmed by groundskeepers, is just outside the office of White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley.

— CBS News, "Sinkhole appears on White House lawn," 22 May 2018
No injuries were reported Tuesday morning when a county school bus carrying students dipped into a sinkhole at the corner of Shady Nook Avenue and Paradise Avenue in the Paradise community in Catonsville.

— cody boteler, baltimoresun.com, "School bus in Paradise Community falls into sinkhole, no injuries reported," 22 May 2018
Because repairing damaged pieces of storm-water management apparatus is easier to overcome than sinkholes, West Observatory road in New Berlin should reopen in a matter of weeks, not months.

— elliot hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Observatory Road to reopen sooner than expected in New Berlin, after sinkhole ruled out as cause," 22 May 2018

These 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.

First Known Use of sinkhole

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

SINKHOLE Defined for English Language Learners

sinkhole

noun

Definition of sinkhole for English Language Learners

: a low area or hole in the ground that is formed especially when soil and rocks are removed by flowing water

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See words that rhyme with sinkhole Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sinkhole

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sinkhole

Definition of sinkhole

Recent Examples of sinkhole from the Web

First Known Use of sinkhole

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SINKHOLE Defined for English Language Learners

sinkhole

Definition of sinkhole for English Language Learners

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