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
Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026
If your tree is in a lawn, poke 6-inch deep holes around the drip line and pour the fertilizer into them.
—Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Rai played his final 10 holes in six-under par and without a blemish on the scorecard before signing for a 65 and a three-shot victory at nine-under overall.
—Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
Instead, the Steelers spent a third-round pick on Penn State’s Drew Allar, a quarterback with exceptional arm talent but also plenty of holes in his game.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 16 May 2026
The mix will soak up water through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, slowly pulling moisture upward like a sponge.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026
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
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
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2026
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
Noun
Alex Smalley at least gets a head start thanks to his sublime play on the back nine at Aronimink Golf Club, with six birdies over his last 10 holes for a 2-under 68 and a two-shot lead.
—Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026
If your tree is in a lawn, poke 6-inch deep holes around the drip line and pour the fertilizer into them.
—Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Rai played his final 10 holes in six-under par and without a blemish on the scorecard before signing for a 65 and a three-shot victory at nine-under overall.
—Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
Instead, the Steelers spent a third-round pick on Penn State’s Drew Allar, a quarterback with exceptional arm talent but also plenty of holes in his game.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 16 May 2026
The mix will soak up water through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, slowly pulling moisture upward like a sponge.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026
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
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
Verb
Space the planting holes 18 to 24 inches apart and space rows 3 to 6 feet apart.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holes
Noun
-
Tripods can also help, as can shooting photos in low apertures.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Also on the periphery are four apertures showing the hours, minutes, day, and date.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Yakima taproom sits right on one of them, the Loftus Ranches in Moxee, and features 16 taps inside, plus seating, fire pits, food trucks, and lawn games outside.—
Vivian Chung,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
-
Give watermelons an extra boost of nutrients by creating melon pits instead of hills and planting seeds directly in the pits.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 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
-
That means closing gaps quickly, improving leadership alignment and ensuring teams are focused on what drives results.—
Sue Mysko,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
One of the most glaring gaps lies between the infrared and millimeter-wavelength radio observations, but the Probe Far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) would fill much of it.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The ants can also be pests by creating bare patches around their nests.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
During this time of year, egg-bearing females travel across land, often crossing roads, in search of suitable locations to dig nests and lay eggs.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
By competition, Tolbert is referring to all the on-field, and off-field drills the Dolphins have been doing this offseason, which get so competitive players routinely request to see the film because a daily winner is declared, and the leader is tracked.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
-
If the samples test positive, then the company drills to validate the discovery, secures rights to the site, and sells the rights off to a mining company.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Fix openings in screens that have been cut or damaged, and seal cracks and gaps in walls and around doors and windows.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
13 May 2026
-
Summertime offers no slowdown in the pace of SoFlo restaurant openings, with several buzzy newcomers slated to make their debuts this June and July.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
In 2024, for instance, NASA shared an image of the abuse one of Curiosity's wheels withstood on Mars, including dents and holes.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Holes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holes. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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