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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of troughs
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
Crests and troughs add together, sometimes making higher crests and lower troughs or sometimes canceling each other out.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Coloe Fossae was shaped by powerful tectonics, which stretched and cracked Mars's crust, causing chunks of ground to collapse and form long, parallel troughs.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
There are several weather systems (troughs and areas of high pressure) that will be tying to steer the system late this week and over the weekend.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The machine would use a pen to physically scribble waves with peaks and troughs onto paper scrolling at a rate of 1 centimeter per second to create an electroencephalogram (EEG).
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
This effect is amplified by the natural asymmetry of sea waves – their crests are typically sharper and steeper than their flatter troughs.
—Francesco Fedele, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
The hadal zone is primarily comprised of oceanic trenches and troughs — some of the deepest and least explored environments on Earth.
—Marlowe Starling, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
Misjudgements and poor patches of form are part of the narrative in Test match troughs.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Crests and troughs add together, sometimes making higher crests and lower troughs or sometimes canceling each other out.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
Coloe Fossae was shaped by powerful tectonics, which stretched and cracked Mars's crust, causing chunks of ground to collapse and form long, parallel troughs.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
There are several weather systems (troughs and areas of high pressure) that will be tying to steer the system late this week and over the weekend.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The machine would use a pen to physically scribble waves with peaks and troughs onto paper scrolling at a rate of 1 centimeter per second to create an electroencephalogram (EEG).
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
This effect is amplified by the natural asymmetry of sea waves – their crests are typically sharper and steeper than their flatter troughs.
—Francesco Fedele, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
The hadal zone is primarily comprised of oceanic trenches and troughs — some of the deepest and least explored environments on Earth.
—Marlowe Starling, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
Misjudgements and poor patches of form are part of the narrative in Test match troughs.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troughs
Noun
-
Keep monitoring your pipes as they thaw.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
-
During the initial two years of the project, Antonio Dominguez, the city’s director of water utilities, said 1,000 lead pipes were replaced with copper.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In heavy rain, refrain from parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a grave danger.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
During this process, radial ditches in the outer ring that forms the distinct circle shape begins to emerge.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Some other key tips to consider include clearing your gutters and checking your roof for anything that could cause problems.—
Lauren Pozen,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
As fog passes through, tiny droplets cling to the mesh, combine and drip into gutters that funnel the water into storage tanks.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Angelic children are conduits between life and death.—
Natalia Jiménez-Stuard,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
More than mere armored knights, Paladins are forged as holy conduits.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The fabulous funnel design comes in all shapes and sizes from classic wool wrap styles to all-weather trenches and edgy leather bombers.—
Morgan Evans,
InStyle,
31 Dec. 2025
-
To learn why dating in Nashville, in particular, may be so tough, The Tennessean interviewed Music City's Gen Z and Millennial crowds who have spent their time in the dating trenches.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Keep boots upright and orderly by using boot trees, cardboard tubes, or even a short length of PVC pipe.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Unopened tubes and cans are both shelf-stable, but once opened, the difference is significant.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So where fiber connections may be expensive to make (think rivers and ravines, for instance), or where permitting is very challenging, FSO could provide just the solution.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Dec. 2025
-
However, the weeks surrounding them can provide spectacular views of their own, as the line separating night from day, known as the terminator, sweeps across its surface, throwing ancient craters, ravines and mountain ranges into relief.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
His case illustrates how power in Venezuela has often flowed through opaque military and intelligence channels rather than formal political office.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The global beauty conglomerate will now support Chillhouse, known for its SoHo New York salon and press-on nails, through digital and retail channels and growth capital.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Troughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troughs. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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