1
as in aperture
a place in a surface allowing passage into or through a thing
line up the pegs on section A with the holes in section B and press the two together
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pit
a sunken area forming a separate space
dig a hole big enough to plant the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
Bill dug himself into a hole by promising to be in two places at the same time
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dump
a dirty or messy place
when people see my room, they often ask, "How can you live in this hole?"
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
found a hole in the chain-link fence big enough to squeeze through
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
7
as in void
an incomplete or deficient area
there's a huge hole in your logic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
holed the target with a round of shots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hole
Mike Kaye
april 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Illinois now has a big hole to fill with the departure of its leading scorer, along with backcourt mate Kylan Boswell, who is out of eligibility.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
How to Limit Attraction Sealing unwanted tiny cracks, gaps in doors or windows, or utility lines, and holes around the home is one of the best ways to prevent ants from gaining access in the first place.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hole
Noun
There are immediate needs, but there are also holes to fill for the long-term improvement of the squad.
—Mike Kaye
april 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Illinois now has a big hole to fill with the departure of its leading scorer, along with backcourt mate Kylan Boswell, who is out of eligibility.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
The penetration holes indicate that the internal facility is likely bombed out, destroying anything that was inside.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
How to Limit Attraction Sealing unwanted tiny cracks, gaps in doors or windows, or utility lines, and holes around the home is one of the best ways to prevent ants from gaining access in the first place.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hole
Noun
-
In keeping with that wide aperture, this year’s event will feature musicians Sara Bareilles, Peter Frampton, Alicia Keys, The LOX, and Mumford & Sons, as well as sports notables Carmelo Anthony, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Day, date, and month are aligned in a single aperture.—
Stephen Watson,
Robb Report,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The new picture also captures shadowy fractures and pits that hint at large volumes of water ice still buried beneath the surface, as well as numerous impact craters surrounded by the detritus of their own explosive formation.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The show operates a remote pit, meaning a majority of the musicians playing the music live are not in the theatre or under the stage in the traditional orchestra pit.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After realizing their predicament, the couple was forced to swim to a buoy about a mile from shore.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The inward-looking nature of the melancholy Dane — conflicted and cocooned in his thoughts, paralyzed by his own intelligence, while the world constantly reflects back to him his own psychological predicament — feels oddly suited for our solipsistic times.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Brooklyn Brainery in Prospect Heights is all about the quirky one-day knowledge dump.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Navigating the dump was precarious.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So what does a $77 rotisserie chicken say about the increasing wealth gap, the disparity between the leisure and working classes, and the overall affordability crisis that certainly irked those who balked at the price?—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Republicans tend to view their tax bill more negatively than Democrats, but Gallup’s polling shows that this gap often shrinks when a Republican is president.—
Linley Sanders,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit group that oversees the webcam trained on the couple’s nest, announced Wednesday that name submissions are being accepted through April 26 on the group’s website.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Murres typically spend all their time in the open ocean, only coming to shore to breed and nest.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Watching this show might just be an alternative to screaming into the void.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
-
For Hansen, the first Canadian to venture beyond low-Earth orbit, one of the more memorable aspects of flying in deep space was the three-dimensional appearance of the starry void, the moon and the Earth suspended in space close by.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Senior catcher Olivia Picciola promptly drilled a two-run double for Lockport, creating a 6-6 tie in a game that featured four ties and four lead changes.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Both players were running on the 1-and-2 pitch to José Caballero, who drilled a line drive into left center.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hole. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
