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
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Recent Examples of holes
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The Chicago Blackhawks have buried themselves in different sized holes this season.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
The gate also has several holes and breaches that have been hastily repaired.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
Snedeker birdied three of the first four holes in a 67, and Lipsky had a 70 on the sunny afternoon with a high in the low-70s and wind gusting to 15 mph.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
To keep coyotes and their pups safe, keep dogs on leashes during walks and don’t investigate holes that could potentially be coyote dens.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Now that Israel and the US have called them to account, the gaping holes in their strategy have left the Gulf exposed.
—Hadley Gamble, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Hands are stabbed, feet are liquidated, fingers are severed, bodies are impaled (at one point an entire butcher block of kitchen knives has to be used to subdue Todd), an ear and a nose are bitten off, shotgun holes are blown into faces, and prison rape is treated as a parlor game.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Lee birdied four of his last six holes for a 66.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 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
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
Pierce holes in the cake so that the Bourbon Glaze can soak in.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Some of those trails, initially seen in January, were made by moving dirt to clear a space and creating small mounds and/or holes in the ground to jump over.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
The officers found a vehicle with multiple people inside that had several bullet holes in it.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
The Chicago Blackhawks have buried themselves in different sized holes this season.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
The gate also has several holes and breaches that have been hastily repaired.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
Snedeker birdied three of the first four holes in a 67, and Lipsky had a 70 on the sunny afternoon with a high in the low-70s and wind gusting to 15 mph.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
To keep coyotes and their pups safe, keep dogs on leashes during walks and don’t investigate holes that could potentially be coyote dens.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Now that Israel and the US have called them to account, the gaping holes in their strategy have left the Gulf exposed.
—Hadley Gamble, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Hands are stabbed, feet are liquidated, fingers are severed, bodies are impaled (at one point an entire butcher block of kitchen knives has to be used to subdue Todd), an ear and a nose are bitten off, shotgun holes are blown into faces, and prison rape is treated as a parlor game.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Lee birdied four of his last six holes for a 66.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 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
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
Pierce holes in the cake so that the Bourbon Glaze can soak in.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Some of those trails, initially seen in January, were made by moving dirt to clear a space and creating small mounds and/or holes in the ground to jump over.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holes
Noun
-
There is some reason to use the lens at tiny apertures, though.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Doing so merges two apertures — the narrow and the microscopic — into a wide-angle lens.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bulldozers dug pits in a Kabul cemetery before Wednesday's mass funeral, which Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said was for more than 50 people whose remains couldn't be identified.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Mass funeral in Kabul Bulldozers dug pits in a Kabul cemetery before Wednesday’s mass funeral, which Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said was for more than 50 people whose remains couldn’t be identified.—
Abdul Qahar Afghan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Despite these gaps, fielding activities have continued in parallel with testing, including system integration, safety validation, and unit-level readiness.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
-
At Thursday’s kickoff meeting, members of the new group took turns sharing what gaps in research could be filled to improve the lives of autistic people.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
South Florida parks are aflutter with all kinds of feathery vertebrates building nests.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Cliff swallows make nests out of mud pellets that cling to overhangs.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Another Arsenal goal kick and Raya, after a customary bit of stud cleaning, drills the ball long.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Wingo and Mosley are both recovering from some nagging injuries suffered during 2025 and haven’t fully participated in offseason team drills.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
An art gallery exhibits work by contemporary artists and hosts openings and other events.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
-
From a thriving artisanal craft tradition to a slate of luxury hospitality openings, Mallorca has a lot to offer these days to debunk its onetime reputation as a bland resort outpost.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Will the metal frame collect more dents and dings in education scenarios than plastic would?—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
This can include scratches, dents, chipped paint and even mismatched units if your warranty coverage leads to a replacement that doesn’t match your other appliances.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holes. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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