1
as in aperture
a place in a surface allowing passage into or through a thing
line up the pegs on section A with the holes in section B and press the two together
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pit
a sunken area forming a separate space
dig a hole big enough to plant the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
Bill dug himself into a hole by promising to be in two places at the same time
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dump
a dirty or messy place
when people see my room, they often ask, "How can you live in this hole?"
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
found a hole in the chain-link fence big enough to squeeze through
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
7
as in void
an incomplete or deficient area
there's a huge hole in your logic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
holed the target with a round of shots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 hole
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Jeannot and Kastelic also convinced Sturm to keep Jeremy Swayman in net despite a three-goal hole after 20 minutes.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Sarkisian in public comments will likely avoid pigeon-holing the pair into set roles, so the duo’s usage in the spring will hint at their roles in the fall.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hole
Noun
After knocking in his final putt at the 18th hole, Woodland stretched out his arms, looked up to the sky and exhaled with tears in his eyes.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Jeannot and Kastelic also convinced Sturm to keep Jeremy Swayman in net despite a three-goal hole after 20 minutes.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
But some backpacks are better for travel than others, perhaps designed with isolated shoe compartments, holes to feed your phone charging cable through, jewelry pouches, and special materials that simply wipe clean after picking up germs from public floors.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Sarkisian in public comments will likely avoid pigeon-holing the pair into set roles, so the duo’s usage in the spring will hint at their roles in the fall.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hole
Noun
-
Personal style also took center stage in design; take Ryan Coogler’s Cartier Tank à Guichets with its ticket-window aperture, an archival revival that was one of the biggest debuts of the past year.—
Shannon Adducci,
Robb Report,
16 Mar. 2026
-
This is typical of lenses that deliver impeccable resolution at a wide open aperture.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With large tables inside and an outdoor patio featuring a rustic fire pit, the eatery could easily fit a few families, a birthday party or even a business meeting.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
For children, there are a variety of playrooms in the behavioral health wing, including a sensory gym equipped with adjustable lights, a ball pit and a rock climbing wall.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lee said financial pressure on cities has contributed to DART’s predicament this year, and simply moving money around won’t help.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Councilmember Kent Lee said this winter that the dire predicament facing the city’s Transportation Department should have been the centerpiece of the campaign for a 2024 ballot measure to raise the city’s sales tax.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Dill radioed up instructions on the best time for that dump, and all was well.—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The gender gap narrowed slightly in recent years but widened again in 2025, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Another admitted to brushing crumbs into the gap between the stove and counter as a child—only to be caught and made to pull the appliance out and deep-clean the entire area.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
January 20 – February 18 Your nest could potentially use a little feathering!—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In 2020, the nest was raided by an unpaired male, and only three of seven chicks survived.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For every event that closes, such as the Johannesburg Biennale (held in 1995 and 1997) and the Marrakech Biennale (2004–16), others, like the Lagos Biennial (founded in 2017) and the Stellenbosch Triennial (founded in 2020), emerge to fill the void.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Padilla had given Perez a phone number, but all her calls went into a void.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And moments before the horn sounded to stop play, Hubbard drilled a fairway metal from the rough over the winding creek in front of the green about 30 yards short of the flag.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
As a result, there is a need to build geothermal plants in non-seismic, nonvolcanic areas of the world for drilling and reaching deeper geothermal resources.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hole. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
