sinkhole

noun

sink·​hole ˈsiŋk-ˌhōl 

1

: a hollow place or depression in which drainage collects

2

: a hollow in a limestone region that communicates with a cavern or passage

3

: sink sense 2

4

: something (such as an unprofitable investment) that steadily drains money or resources

a financial sinkhole

Examples of sinkhole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The neighbors don’t stop by anymore — not since my husband rigged our garage to look like a sinkhole had opened up in the ground, and Mrs. Hewitt’s cat disappeared into the hedge in panic. —Remy Blumenfeld, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2024

Missouri Ha Ha Tonka State Park has a series of trails such as the rugged Colosseum Trail that winds through a sinkhole and beneath a natural bridge. —Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024

Crews drilled steel pillars deep into the ground, disturbing a fragile ecosystem of thousands of caverns and freshwater sinkholes known as cenotes. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024

Trapped in sinkholes or lost within labyrinthine passages, these animals died, and their remains became fossilized and preserved by rising water levels. —Martin Broen, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sinkhole

noun

sink·​hole ˈsiŋk-ˌhōl 

: a hollow place in which drainage collects