1
a
: a covered passageway
specifically
: a horizontal passageway through or under an obstruction
b
: a subterranean gallery (as in a mine)
c
: burrow
tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling
ˈtən-liŋ,
ˈtə-nᵊl-iŋ
1
: to make or use a tunnel
2
physics
: to pass through a potential barrier
electrons tunneling through an insulator between semiconductors
: to make a tunnel or similar opening through or under
also
: to make (one's way) by or as if by making a tunnel
Examples of tunnel in a Sentence
Noun
The train goes through a tunnel in the mountain.
The moles dug tunnels in the yard.
Verb
Workers are tunneling through the hill.
Insects had tunneled into the tree.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ronald Bisio, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Around a decade ago, the country built a network of modern tunnels and highways to divert traffic from its old mountain roads.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 13 May 2025
Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Female carpenter bees typically tunnel into wood to collect pollen and lay their eggs, often returning to the same tunnel each year.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tunnel
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Infrastructure: Transportation agencies document roads, bridges and tunnels to plan maintenance, identify structural issues and design improvements without disrupting traffic.
—Ronald Bisio, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Around a decade ago, the country built a network of modern tunnels and highways to divert traffic from its old mountain roads.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 13 May 2025
Verb
The club sits on the ground floor with views into the backside of the paddock and the walkway tunnel the horses take to move between the paddock and the track.
—Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Female carpenter bees typically tunnel into wood to collect pollen and lay their eggs, often returning to the same tunnel each year.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tunnel
Cite this Entry
“Tunnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tunnel. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tunnel
2 of 2 verb
tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling
ˈtən-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to make a tunnel
Medical Definition
tunnel
noun
tun·nel
ˈtən-ᵊl
: a bodily channel see carpal tunnel
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