sinkhole
noun
sink·hole
ˈsiŋk-ˌhōl 
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
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
Jaime said workers also repaired a sewer line collapse that created a sinkhole behind the Edison High baseball field.
—
Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Three and a half years after Putin's February 2022 invasion, the Russia-Ukraine war is a humanitarian catastrophe and a financial sinkhole.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Los Angeles County residents are already paying four separate half-percent sales taxes to fund the financial sinkhole that is Metro, officially known as the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
Though stratigraphic inversions have been detected in layers of rock in the past, they haven’t been detected at this scale or size, as there are hundreds of North Sea sinkholes that measure around a kilometer (over half a mile) across or more.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sinkhole
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Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Three and a half years after Putin's February 2022 invasion, the Russia-Ukraine war is a humanitarian catastrophe and a financial sinkhole.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Los Angeles County residents are already paying four separate half-percent sales taxes to fund the financial sinkhole that is Metro, officially known as the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
Though stratigraphic inversions have been detected in layers of rock in the past, they haven’t been detected at this scale or size, as there are hundreds of North Sea sinkholes that measure around a kilometer (over half a mile) across or more.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sinkhole
Cite this Entry
“Sinkhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinkhole. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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sinkhole
noun
sink·hole
ˈsiŋk-ˌhōl
: a hollow place in which drainage collects
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