Copy Citation
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Example Sentences
Her hobbies include hiking, biking, and spelunking.
They love to go spelunking.
Recent Examples on the Web
That led to other activities, including basketball, white-water rafting, spelunking, zip-lining and leading hiking groups.
—
Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2023
National archives, especially Presidential archives, are like a weird form of historical spelunking.
—Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2019
If your business is built around one key player, what is your backup plan if they get hit by a bus tomorrow or decide to fully follow their passion for international spelunking?
—Samuel Johnston, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022
The arc of Ancestor Trouble ends up being a subtle move from a process of genealogical spelunking to one of gentle exorcism.
—Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
The upshot, Butler writes, is that the Method has been diluted by other acting styles that don’t privilege psychological spelunking or total authenticity—think of the Brat Pack, or Bruce Willis.
—Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2022
None of this would be possible without a lot of juridical spelunking.
—Luke Winkie, Wired, 19 Oct. 2021
Choose a place that was once wet—and Mars’s now-dry riverbeds, sea basins and ocean floors offer plenty of those—and do your spelunking there.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Oct. 2021
This is one of the great strengths of fiction: to identify a question that’s vexing, go spelunking, and sort of … hang out.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 15 May 2020
See More
Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2023
National archives, especially Presidential archives, are like a weird form of historical spelunking.
—Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2019
If your business is built around one key player, what is your backup plan if they get hit by a bus tomorrow or decide to fully follow their passion for international spelunking?
—Samuel Johnston, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022
The arc of Ancestor Trouble ends up being a subtle move from a process of genealogical spelunking to one of gentle exorcism.
—Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
The upshot, Butler writes, is that the Method has been diluted by other acting styles that don’t privilege psychological spelunking or total authenticity—think of the Brat Pack, or Bruce Willis.
—Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2022
None of this would be possible without a lot of juridical spelunking.
—Luke Winkie, Wired, 19 Oct. 2021
Choose a place that was once wet—and Mars’s now-dry riverbeds, sea basins and ocean floors offer plenty of those—and do your spelunking there.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Oct. 2021
This is one of the great strengths of fiction: to identify a question that’s vexing, go spelunking, and sort of … hang out.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 15 May 2020
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spelunking.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
First Known Use
1944, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near spelunking
Cite this Entry
“Spelunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spelunking. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Name That Flower
Can you tell the difference between a lilac and a...
Take the quiz
-
Are You Feeling Lucky?
A charming quiz about fortunate and unfortunate w...
Take the quiz
-
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share