gouge out
phrasal verb
gouged out; gouging out; gouges out
1
: to remove (something) by digging or cutting
The impact of the accident gouged a big piece out of the wall.
He threatened to gouge my eyes out.
2
: to make (a hole or path) by digging or cutting
The river gouged out a wide path between the mountains.
Examples of gouge out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One remembers that Oedipus responds to the horror of the truth by gouging out his own eyes.
—
Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
The chimps gouged out his right eye and chewed off his nose, eight of his fingers, a chunk of his skull as well as parts of his lips, cheek, buttocks, genitals and feet.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
The dog bit Ramirez, gouging out a large chunk of flesh from her left hand, according to the lawsuit.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Social media is already full of videos of users trying to drink without caps scratching their nose, gouging out an eye, or cutting their lip.
—Itxu Díaz, National Review, 10 June 2024
There are some memorably gruesome deaths, including a doctor who’s sliced in half by an elevator cable and a reporter whose eyes are gouged out by crows.
—Josh Bell, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2024
By comparison, Voltaire’s indictment depicts a more dramatic web of politics and tragedy, featuring a long list of suspects in Haiti, including Martine Moïse, who lay seemingly dead from gunshot wounds after her husband was fatally shot a dozen times and and one of his eyes was gouged out.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024
Adult men were lynched, but this was the first time a child was dragged out of his home and had his eye gouged out.
—Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
The foot-and-a-half long shark latches onto prey with suction lips, digs in with its razor-sharp teeth, and spins its body to gouge out a plug of flesh.
—Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 26 July 2023
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
The chimps gouged out his right eye and chewed off his nose, eight of his fingers, a chunk of his skull as well as parts of his lips, cheek, buttocks, genitals and feet.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
The dog bit Ramirez, gouging out a large chunk of flesh from her left hand, according to the lawsuit.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Social media is already full of videos of users trying to drink without caps scratching their nose, gouging out an eye, or cutting their lip.
—Itxu Díaz, National Review, 10 June 2024
There are some memorably gruesome deaths, including a doctor who’s sliced in half by an elevator cable and a reporter whose eyes are gouged out by crows.
—Josh Bell, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2024
By comparison, Voltaire’s indictment depicts a more dramatic web of politics and tragedy, featuring a long list of suspects in Haiti, including Martine Moïse, who lay seemingly dead from gunshot wounds after her husband was fatally shot a dozen times and and one of his eyes was gouged out.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024
Adult men were lynched, but this was the first time a child was dragged out of his home and had his eye gouged out.
—Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
The foot-and-a-half long shark latches onto prey with suction lips, digs in with its razor-sharp teeth, and spins its body to gouge out a plug of flesh.
—Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 26 July 2023
Dictionary Entries Near gouge out
Cite this Entry
“Gouge out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gouge%20out. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share