sinkhole

noun sink·hole \ ˈsiŋk-ˌhōl \

Updated on: 16 Apr 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

City Engineer Phillip Gralik said the sinkhole was caused by a sanitary sewer collapse.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Car gets stuck in Hobart sinkhole caused by sewer collapse," 11 Apr. 2018
Then the helicopter heads for the flight’s main attraction: a 407-foot deep sinkhole nearly 50 miles off the coast.

— brian j. skerry, National Geographic, "How One Country Is Restoring Its Damaged Ocean," 11 Apr. 2018
The sinkholes are about 200 feet from the Amtrak line, also used by SEPTA’s Regional Rail.

— andrew maykuth, Philly.com, "How Sunoco's drilling methods may be causing Mariner East 2's problems," 7 Apr. 2018
Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press Macomb County officials are hoping to tap a source of funding used to fix the Fraser sinkhole last year for another infrastructure emergency — repairing the county's crumbling roads.

— christina hall, Detroit Free Press, "The road Macomb County would fix first, if it could find more funding," 5 Apr. 2018
The militants often chose natural features such as sinkholes for execution or body-dumping sites, making many bodies hard to recover.

— isabel coles and, WSJ, "Iraq Struggles to Exhume and Identify Slaughtered Victims of Islamic State," 4 Apr. 2018
The sinkhole, which opened up last week, is on Long Pond Road near Markham Woods Road.

— david harris, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Sinkhole forms near Lake Mary, officials say," 27 Mar. 2018
The Springfield News-Leader reported Wynn was an independent contractor working at the sinkhole, where crews have been working since 2015, when it was discovered.

— kaitlyn schwers, kansascity, "Worker injured after truck falls 100-150 feet into sinkhole at Missouri golf course | The Kansas City Star," 22 Mar. 2018
View More News View 33 Photos Exactly four years ago, a massive sinkhole appeared directly under the National Corvette Museum, swallowing eight of the rarest and most special Corvettes on Earth.

— brian silvestro, Car and Driver, "Out of the Sinkhole: Corvette Museum Has Restored the Last of the Damaged Vettes," 2 Mar. 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

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

Other Geology Terms

SINKHOLE Defined for English Language Learners

sinkhole

Definition of sinkhole for English Language Learners

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