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
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 image is perfect; the message is a sinkhole that just keeps getting bigger.
—
Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024
Still, what’s left behind is a 20-30 ft sinkhole that washed out both southbound road lanes.
—Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
Within capitalism, some businesses will flourish for a very long time while others will prove to be sinkholes.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 25 Feb. 2024
Firefighters were able to successfully pull a horse out from neck-deep soil after a sinkhole suddenly swallowed the animal Wednesday afternoon.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Whiteland Police report sinkhole The sinkhole, which measures at around 3 feet wide and 5 feet deep is located along Whiteland Road near Whiteland Community High School and Brewer ditch.
—Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Video captured the moment last weekend when a woman casually shopping in a Chinese department store disappeared as a possible sinkhole swallowed a portion of the floor.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 31 Mar. 2024
And though their scenes burn with an intensity that feels richer than any other in the play — Boothe is especially fearless in the role — the soggy subfloor of personal history creates a kind of believability sinkhole beneath them.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
The soil beneath her hooves began to collapse as a sinkhole formed, trapping the 20-year-old horse neck-deep in mud, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a Feb. 21 news release.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024
Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024
Still, what’s left behind is a 20-30 ft sinkhole that washed out both southbound road lanes.
—Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
Within capitalism, some businesses will flourish for a very long time while others will prove to be sinkholes.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 25 Feb. 2024
Firefighters were able to successfully pull a horse out from neck-deep soil after a sinkhole suddenly swallowed the animal Wednesday afternoon.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Whiteland Police report sinkhole The sinkhole, which measures at around 3 feet wide and 5 feet deep is located along Whiteland Road near Whiteland Community High School and Brewer ditch.
—Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Video captured the moment last weekend when a woman casually shopping in a Chinese department store disappeared as a possible sinkhole swallowed a portion of the floor.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 31 Mar. 2024
And though their scenes burn with an intensity that feels richer than any other in the play — Boothe is especially fearless in the role — the soggy subfloor of personal history creates a kind of believability sinkhole beneath them.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
The soil beneath her hooves began to collapse as a sinkhole formed, trapping the 20-year-old horse neck-deep in mud, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a Feb. 21 news release.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sinkhole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sinkhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinkhole. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sinkhole
noun
sink·hole
ˈsiŋk-ˌhōl
: a hollow place in which drainage collects
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