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 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 The Euro model, which has been more accurate in handling these shortwave troughs over the next week, has a major ice storm occurring as the rain arrives. Ron Smiley, CBS News, 27 Feb. 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troughs
Noun
  • Condensation develops on windows, mirrors, pipes, or other surfaces, caused by a difference in temperatures when humid air makes contact with cooler surfaces.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
  • Concrete-block walls with pipes running down the tops of walls, piles of concrete, junk on top of junk.
    Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • In heavy rain, refrain from parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a grave danger.
    Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
  • Zaragoza stationed his men on the high ground, hidden behind cacti, behind walls of dilapidated forts, in ditches.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • To counteract this unintentional sabotage, start by cleaning your gutters.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 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
Noun
  • But there’s a semi-true idea that children are doing so at an incredibly rapid pace, and stories can be conduits for emotional growth, wonder, and empathy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
  • Likewise, electrical conduits are hidden on the top of the beams and centered down the skylight to leave the focus on the old structure and new walls.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • Iranian cinema classics are a hot cinematic commodity these days in the indie trenches.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 1 May 2026
  • Advancing through the exclusion zone on their way to Kyiv, soldiers dug trenches in radioactive soil in the Red Forest — one of the most radioactive areas on Earth — and exposed themselves to high levels of contamination.
    Benjamin Mack-Jackson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Others may use hollow pipes, tubes, window ledges or even sliding door tracks (a favorite site for the grass-carrying wasp).
    Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
  • These tubes are the cause of the frequent delays in the 200,000 daily trips made under the Hudson.
    Tom Wright, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • The manhunt has so far been contained to Stewart County, where search crews are up against an immediate terrain of steep hills with deep ravines or hollows, the sheriff said.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
  • Why not try and capture an image of the moon during each major phase (excluding the new moon) as the line separating night from day sweeps across the lunar surface throwing ancient craters, ravines and mountain ranges into relief.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • At the 12th-century church, the new iteration of Elegy mourning Palestine occupies five channels, while previous editions mourning the femicide and the Namibian genocide take up one and two, respectively.
    Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026
  • Light woods, clean lines, and a mix of indoor and outdoor lounge areas set a serene tone, with landscaped garden paths and a linear water feature—inspired by traditional irrigation channels—adding to the almost spa-like atmosphere.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Troughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troughs. Accessed 15 May. 2026.

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