troughs

Definition of troughsnext
plural of trough
1
as in pipes
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 ditches
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 gutters
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 troughs Conversely, major troughs in the jetstream will form on either side of that giant ridge, one in the Pacific Northwest and another right over New England. Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 28 May 2026 Peaks, troughs, breaks, beginnings, and endings shape the quality of decisions. Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 Possible mosquito breeding areas can include fish ponds, swimming pools, spas, standing water, tree holes, containers, bird baths, roof gutters, pet water bowls, street gutters, wading pools and watering troughs. Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026 Wooden ladder planters with zinc troughs provide an easy way to achieve vertical gardening in small spaces such as patios. Midwest Living, 22 Apr. 2026 Gass said a series of upper-level troughs are expected to influence the region through the week, keeping the temperatures from climbing higher. Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026 Producers are looking at factors like cost of labor combined with the time and material costs of driving around to check wells or troughs — areas where Ranchbot might be able to lend an assist. Lana Ferguson, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026 Stock tanks, also called cattle troughs, are essentially giant metal water bowls for livestock. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026 Her seventh novel follows longtime friends Laura Miller and Edmund Putnam, both languishing in personal and professional troughs. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troughs
Noun
  • Ursula stared up from the gloomy nave at the enormous mahogany machine booming from the balcony and, rising from it, those shining, impossible banks of pipes that reached into the arches above.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • New York City's sewer network is complex, with pipes spanning over 7,400 miles.
    Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • There is an effort to dilute the high-pH water in ditches that was contaminated with the large amount of chemicals that spilled, officials said.
    Phil Helsel, NBC news, 29 May 2026
  • During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • When on a ladder, use a four-prong garden tool in a plowing motion to push leaves out of gutters.
    Emerson Latham, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026
  • Crews also will be replacing underground utilities, and constructing curbs and gutters, between 16th Street and 24th Street in Fruitland, and between 3rd Avenue and 6th Avenue in Payette, the release said.
    Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • The conduits that link the pads to the octagon structures may contain fiber-optic cables for communications, Kristensen and Neill said.
    Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026
  • In trying to cut out the conduits, the ECB tread a dangerous path.
    Paul Newman, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Similar hard-substrate communities were also observed on rocks in the Aleutian, Kuril‑Kamchatka, Atacama, Puysegur, Atacama, and Mussau trenches.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
  • From underwater trenches to sea caves, there are myriad spaces where undiscovered creatures may be lurking.
    K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 24 May 2026
Noun
  • The new generators packed in many more tubes, which led to quicker wear, which led to a leak of radioactive steam.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
  • Khanna’s second stop on the trip was JM Steel in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, a plant turning hulking steel coils into solar tracker tubes for the company Nextpower.
    Garrett Downs, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • The face of the moon never looks the same from one night to the next, as the shifting angle between the moon and sun causes sunlight to sweep across its surface, altering the shadows cast by craters, mountain ranges and ravines.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 May 2026
  • Madeira’s cliffs and ravines are difficult enough that many walking holidays there are guided and focused on one part of the island, including the eight-mile forest hike through Ribeiro Frio.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • There are just five guest rooms, but each channels the casual elegance of surrounding Healdsburg, with a calming palette and beds prepped with the softest Matouk sheets.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • Americans of Kokopeli’s vintage are old enough to remember TV-watching as restricted by the times shows went on-air, by the channels their parents paid for, and by the public service announcements they were forced to get through during morning cartoons.
    Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Troughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troughs. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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