1
as in apertures
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 pits
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 predicaments
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 dumps
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 gaps
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
as in drills
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 holes
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Bullet holes could be seen in the back door of one of the homes.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
The South African made birdie on six of his opening nine holes, picked up another four birdies down the stretch, and managed to post his second consecutive round of 63 to secure the insanely impressive 14-shot victory at 28-under par.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Texas teacher’s arrest exposes holes in do-not-hire checks An Elgin middle school teacher accused of molesting an eighth grader had previously resigned from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department after giving a shirtless youth a skin-to-skin back rub and turning off his body camera.
—Jj Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News, 10 May 2026
Seal cracks and gaps near windows, decks, and eaves, and fill holes in the yard to close off potential entry points.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Look for small round holes, sawdust piles, and sticky yellow stains near wooden structures to spot an infestation.
—Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 9 May 2026
For a team that had so many roster holes, Hall’s departure would have created a new one — an unnecessary one considering how much cap flexibility the Jets had this offseason and in the future.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Yes, their starting pitchers have put them in some big holes a few times.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Mirroring the 3-star wig cap structure, this wig featured three combs (left-side, right-side, nape), a drawstring, wig band insertion holes, and a 13×4 lace.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
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
But some backpacks are better for travel than others, perhaps designed with isolated shoe compartments, holes to feed your phone charging cable through, jewelry pouches, and special materials that simply wipe clean after picking up germs from public floors.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
The San Francisco 49ers head into free agency with roughly $38 million in salary-cap space — 11th most in the NFL — and holes all over their roster.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
There are plenty of other positions where the Giants can invest in talent and leadership, and holes on the roster to fill.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
The posts included more than a dozen images that showed bruises and other wounds on her body, holes in the wall and broken cabinets.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
That alone changes the math — his cardio dropoff against Strickland was directly tied to the weight cut, and removing that variable fixes one of the only real holes in his game.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Bullet holes could be seen in the back door of one of the homes.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
The South African made birdie on six of his opening nine holes, picked up another four birdies down the stretch, and managed to post his second consecutive round of 63 to secure the insanely impressive 14-shot victory at 28-under par.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Texas teacher’s arrest exposes holes in do-not-hire checks An Elgin middle school teacher accused of molesting an eighth grader had previously resigned from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department after giving a shirtless youth a skin-to-skin back rub and turning off his body camera.
—Jj Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News, 10 May 2026
Seal cracks and gaps near windows, decks, and eaves, and fill holes in the yard to close off potential entry points.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Look for small round holes, sawdust piles, and sticky yellow stains near wooden structures to spot an infestation.
—Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 9 May 2026
For a team that had so many roster holes, Hall’s departure would have created a new one — an unnecessary one considering how much cap flexibility the Jets had this offseason and in the future.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Yes, their starting pitchers have put them in some big holes a few times.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Verb
The flight attendants then attempted to solve the problem by shoving napkins inside the ceiling holes.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Mirroring the 3-star wig cap structure, this wig featured three combs (left-side, right-side, nape), a drawstring, wig band insertion holes, and a 13×4 lace.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
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
But some backpacks are better for travel than others, perhaps designed with isolated shoe compartments, holes to feed your phone charging cable through, jewelry pouches, and special materials that simply wipe clean after picking up germs from public floors.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
The San Francisco 49ers head into free agency with roughly $38 million in salary-cap space — 11th most in the NFL — and holes all over their roster.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
There are plenty of other positions where the Giants can invest in talent and leadership, and holes on the roster to fill.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
The posts included more than a dozen images that showed bruises and other wounds on her body, holes in the wall and broken cabinets.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holes
Noun
-
Also on the periphery are four apertures showing the hours, minutes, day, and date.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
-
However, large, good-value Dobsonians offer the best value for large apertures at a lower cost.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The cost estimate for cleanup of the underwater waste, known as the northern impoundment of the San Jacinto waste pits, has now climbed to a quarter of a billion dollars.—
Rebekah F. Ward,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
-
There are two square holes in the stage — basically orchestra pits where the band resides.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Journeys that used to take entire seasons were being covered in single episodes, characters survived predicaments that once meant surefire death, and previously relevant factors like supplies, infrastructure, and alliances no longer mattered.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At smaller hospitals like Winona Health, those savings can fill gaps left by Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, which often don’t cover the full cost of providing that care.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
To close persistent gender gaps in nursing, leaders must invest in accessible funding for nurses’ education, expand outreach to men, and amplify men working in nursing as mentors to future applicants.—
Nicholas A. Giordano,
STAT,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Defending nests is not a behavior such as is done by social wasps and hornets.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Carpenter bees tunnel into wood to create nests, which can lead to costly structural damage over time.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The nonprofit drills wells to provide clean water.—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
For kids, there will be a mobile video game truck, skills and drills stations, inflatables, balloon and caricature artist and a face painter.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Castle Rock Hormone Health is targeting 100 to 250 new clinic openings in 2026 alone.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
There were openings of numerous freestanding Orveda stores in prime locations, including in Paris, New York and Shanghai.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Avoid cans that have dents or lid damage, as this can increase the risk of bacteria that cause botulism (a form of food poisoning).—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2026
-
Smooth Dents and Remove Stains from Wood Wooden floors and tables can be extremely prone to dents, nicks, and stains, but an iron can be a surprisingly effective way to clear off water stains and smooth out dents.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holes. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
