hollow out
phrasal verb
hollowed out; hollowing out; hollows out
1
: to remove the inside of (something) : to make an empty space in (something)
The kids were hollowing out pumpkins.
a hollowed-out log
2
: to form (something) by digging or cutting the inside of something
Workers hollowed out a tunnel through the mountain.
Examples of hollow out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their forward depth has been hollowed out, and even with Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek playing a bulk of their minutes on separate pairs to fatten up Vancouver’s lineup, the blue line is lacking in pace, depth and quality.
—
Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 1 Feb. 2025
The incoming president was accused of being a populist hollowed out by his ambition.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025
Using a paring knife or melon baller, hollow out the core of the onion and place the onion on a large piece of aluminum foil.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025
The 13-year civil war killed hundreds of thousands, unleashed a refugee crisis and left cities bombed to rubble, the countryside depopulated and the Syrian economy hollowed out by global sanctions.
—Kanishka Singh, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hollow out 
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Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 1 Feb. 2025
The incoming president was accused of being a populist hollowed out by his ambition.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025
Using a paring knife or melon baller, hollow out the core of the onion and place the onion on a large piece of aluminum foil.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025
The 13-year civil war killed hundreds of thousands, unleashed a refugee crisis and left cities bombed to rubble, the countryside depopulated and the Syrian economy hollowed out by global sanctions.
—Kanishka Singh, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hollow out
Dictionary Entries Near hollow out
Cite this Entry
“Hollow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hollow%20out. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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