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

As is the BeltLine, a 22-mile loop that connects 45 neighborhoods with restaurants, watering holes, shops, and galleries sprinkled along its path. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026

Not to be outdone by swanky San Pedro, El Centro also has some more noteworthy watering holes—Vini the Bar and Zigzag, to name a few—while the spot for live music and cheap beer in Barrio Antiguo is undoubtedly Café Iguana. —Lauren Cocking, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026

Nunez had just stepped out of the bar when he was hit by bullets fired from inside the watering hole. —Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026

Detroit’s beloved Checker Bar is set to reopen on March 4 after a January 2025 basement fire shuttered the popular downtown watering hole at Cadillac Square. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 25 Feb. 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