spelunking

noun

spe·​lunk·​ing spi-ˈləŋ-kiŋ How to pronounce spelunking (audio)
ˈspē-ˌləŋ-
: the hobby or practice of exploring caves

Examples of spelunking in a Sentence

Her hobbies include hiking, biking, and spelunking. They love to go spelunking.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The episode on Zion National Park starts out with some of the doctors and scientists rock climbing and spelunking. Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2024 Neil Marshall's spelunking movie is at once an ode to the power of female friendship, a creature feature and a (wo)man-versus-nature survival tale. Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 9 Aug. 2024 Neither fresh nor salt water should be an issue at shallow depths for extended periods, however, so snorkeling and spelunking are fine. PCMAG, 19 July 2024 The kids who grew up with the original cartoon about a young girl named Riley (then voiced by Kaitlyn Dias), whose ponytailed body is an exoskeleton for psychological spelunking, are now getting their mental health advice from influencers on TikTok. Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 12 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for spelunking 

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spelunking was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near spelunking

Cite this Entry

“Spelunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spelunking. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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