Definition of troughnext
1
as in pipe
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas) all of the wiring for the converted residential loft is concealed in a vertical trough

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2
as in ditch
a long narrow channel dug in the earth I slid and fell into the trough by the side of the road, scraping my leg

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3
as in gutter
a pipe or channel for carrying off water from a roof the troughs on the eaves of the house were clogged with leaves

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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 trough By Thursday, the Eastern Pacific trough that helped pump up the moisture earlier in the week will arrive, bringing a weak cold front and kicking off a late-week cooling trend. Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 13 July 2026 But Kostyuk, who has done tremendous work of her own this season to add solidity and evenness to a tennis arsenal with impossible peaks, but also deep troughs, had reasons to do much more than feel the agony of missing out. James Hansen, New York Times, 9 July 2026 By Sunday and the following week, early signs point to a return to normal as our trough erodes along with our cooler temperatures. Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026 Mention of the farm brought to mind a make-believe oasis of sunshine, warm fields of thick, green grass, fat red apples hanging from a tree, oats mixed with brown sugar in the trough, and a cool, clear stream winding through the center of it all. Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for trough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trough
Noun
  • Sometime after 2021, Higgs constructed a parking lot and installed an undersized pipe in an attempt to permit the surface water to pass under the lot.
    Zuri Primos July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • The project seeks to add two new compressor units to an existing station on High Meadow Lane, increasing pipeline capacity without installing a new pipe, but requires final state air quality permits before moving forward.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026
Noun
  • The city later determined that roughly 300 gallons of ferric chloride, diluted with reuse water, had flowed into a drainage ditch, the report said.
    Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
  • The last-ditch appeal to his humanity worked; Henderson allegedly stopped, got dressed and left, according to court records.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Noun
  • Artificial snow is piled up in their gutters, smoke seems to billow from the chimneys on the roofs and the windows of the cottages are filled with moving models of colorful creatures from the films.
    Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • According to the ordinance, the remaining work includes paving unpaved roads, installing curbs and gutters, sidewalks, ADA ramps, retaining walls, roadway markings and signs, and removing trees where needed.
    Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • Sitting at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the strait serves as a conduit for about 12% of global trade and has become even more vital for Saudi oil exports following the shuttering of the Strait of Hormuz.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 27 July 2026
  • The White House press corps, the conduit that routes and shapes the official government narrative, has itself been reshaped, its composition altered to better reflect the President’s preferences.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • But its owner, Hiro Yonekawa, packs way more into its two rooms, which are full of mostly vintage clothes like mint Burberry trenches (for around $300), graphic tees, men’s dress shirts and women’s tops, hats and handbags.
    New York Times, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Samsung credits a dual-layer structure called Flex Titanium for flattening the display and turning what was once a glaring trench into a subtle seam.
    Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • Scientists held an absorbent plastic tube near a mole rat for about half an hour to pick up the volatile molecules coming off its body.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
  • Workers also had to remove more cabling than planned to install the new launch tubes, which added extra work and delayed the schedule.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • The bus, which was carrying passengers from Sétif to the Algerian capital, skidded in the locality of El Karma, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Algiers, before plunging into a deep ravine.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Both vehicles went into a nearby ravine and the tree line, a police report said.
    Emily Harter, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Noun
  • The unglamorous middle of the funnel where fortunes leak while everyone's attention is on the top.
    Angelica Kopec, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • These serve as top-of-funnel brand awareness channels for Generation Z and Generation Alpha.
    Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 31 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trough. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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