as in concave
curved inward
there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hole
a sunken area forming a separate space
made a little hollow in her mound of mashed potatoes and filled it with gravy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in valley
an area of lowland between hills or mountains
a quaint village nestled in a hollow among green hills
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 hollow
Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Researchers in China have identified a new breed of dinosaur covered in hollow, porcupine-like spikes.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Sean Gentille, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
For Suárez, those arguments ring hollow.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Yet what good are rights on paper when every branch of government is allowed to ignore, circumvent, chip away at or hollow them out in practice?
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hollow
Adjective
By this time the embryo has reached the hollow ball stage, called a blastocyst.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Researchers in China have identified a new breed of dinosaur covered in hollow, porcupine-like spikes.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
Part of that is because the selection process doesn’t actually select the best players, rendering the accolade hollow.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
For Suárez, those arguments ring hollow.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
This pivot could revitalize urban retail districts but leave regional malls — home to many Saks outposts — further hollowed.
—Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Yet what good are rights on paper when every branch of government is allowed to ignore, circumvent, chip away at or hollow them out in practice?
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hollow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hollow
Adjective
-
Lightly wet just the concave side of the board and place it on a damp kitchen towel on your countertop.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The cello’s top and back are made from flat, concave carbon-fiber panels.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The day before, Bridgeman matched the tournament’s 54-hole scoring record of 194 set four years ago by Joaquin Niemann, who went on to shoot even par in the final round to win by two strokes at 19 under.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Another bunker on 17, turning a birdie hole into a par.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It was built between the walls of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and has a lower volume capacity than Blue Mesa Dam, an earth-fill dam that was constructed in a lower valley.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
These walls block the view of the house for a six footer standing down in the valley.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office has filed seven price-gouging lawsuits — three civil, four criminal — ranging from individual landlords to housing companies such as Blueground and Airbnb.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Scheffler pushed his drive into the right fairway bunker on the par-4, could only advance the ball 54 yards into the left rough and gouged his third shot short of the green.—
John Marshall,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Traverse through the labyrinth-like sunken forest to see a hidden world of caves, grottos, waterfalls, ancient trees, and even older boulders.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Behind the bed, past the requisite sunken bath, lies an enchanting lovers’ garden with a plunge pool, a cascading outdoor shower, and a daybed for two.—
Jamie Spain,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Harrison Bader put a figurative dent into a baseball.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Recently, though, her charisma, cutting humor and being a loving mother have somehow eclipsed those accusations, and not even an entire TLC docuseries about her and her church could dent put a dent in her popularity.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Elements that any attacking or penetrating force would need to counter effectively.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
More than half of children 6 to 8 years old have had a cavity in at least one of their baby teeth, and more than half of teens ages 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth, the health department said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Many of its technologies, such as superconducting crab cavities, crystal collimators and high-temperature superconducting power lines, have never been used in a proton accelerator before.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hollow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hollow. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
