watering hole

noun

1

: water hole sense 1

2

: a place where people gather socially

especially : watering place sense 3

Synonyms of watering hole

• pub
• tavern
• saloon
• watering place
• bar
• nightclub

Examples of watering hole in a Sentence

supposedly, that Broadway hangout was the favorite watering hole for 1940s celebrities

Recent Examples on the Web

At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week. —Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026

The first two are non-negotiable within any worthwhile Japanese watering hole. —Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026

Located in Washington Park, the 50-year-old sports bar is a bit of a relic to a decade or two ago in Denver — for better or for worse — when there were sticky neighborhood watering holes all over the place, when wings were cheap and beer choices were limited to Coors Light and Avalanche Ale. —Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026

Some of Erickson’s buddies have invited him to watch UM playoff games at a local watering hole. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for watering hole

• arteriole
• levamisole
• amphibole
• asystole
• buttonhole
• casserole
• centriole
• decontrol
• glycerol
• metropole
• monopole
• multipole