as in concave
curved inward
there's a noticeably hollow spot in the mattress where he has been sleeping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hole
a sunken area forming a separate space
made a little hollow in her mound of mashed potatoes and filled it with gravy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in valley
an area of lowland between hills or mountains
a quaint village nestled in a hollow among green hills
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 hollow
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
In the big picture, the victory as a 10-point underdog is hollow.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 4 Oct. 2024
But there's a good chance every bite of the nation’s orange obsession has its origins in the same spot: Morton, a sleepy hollow outside Peoria, Illinois that touts itself as the pumpkin capital of the world.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024
The new breed of autocrats corrode democracy by taking part in democratic politics and then hollowing them out until only an empty shell remains.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hollow 
Adjective
The statement is hollow so long as people still can stake their dollars on the calamities befalling everyday Angelenos.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
In the big picture, the victory as a 10-point underdog is hollow.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
All that water had to compress into valleys and hollows.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 4 Oct. 2024
But there's a good chance every bite of the nation’s orange obsession has its origins in the same spot: Morton, a sleepy hollow outside Peoria, Illinois that touts itself as the pumpkin capital of the world.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
What’s more important, for now, is how this hole in the center of Margaret’s life hollows her out and strains her relationships.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024
The new breed of autocrats corrode democracy by taking part in democratic politics and then hollowing them out until only an empty shell remains.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hollow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hollow
Adjective
-
Despite sounding contradictory, Eisen’s pieces appear to be very simple, but the minimal creations have complex shapes including concave ones.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
WWD,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Use the domed brush for concave bath tubs and sinks, or the pointed brush for corners and groutlines.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
But the concerns about how the state ended up in the budget hole to begin with, remains central to the blame game.—
Mikenzie Frost,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Jan. 2025
-
The Mets still have a gaping hole at first base and the two sides likely aren't too far apart on a deal.—
Zach Pressnell,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Sandy and gravelly soils predominate on the valley floors, providing excellent drainage for the vines.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
-
A day after firefighters got a reprieve with lighter winds than expected, gusts were hitting up to 35 mph (56 kph) on the coast and in valleys and 55 mph (88 kph) in the mountains before dawn, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall said.—
Josh DuBose,
The Hill,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Some argued that banks engaged in practices that gouged consumers, caused overdraft fees to snowball, discouraged some people from keeping money in a bank and caused others to see their bank accounts closed.—
Susan Tompor,
USA TODAY,
17 Dec. 2024
-
Big-play problems Jacksonville’s defense has been gouged by big plays, most of them through the air.—
Dan Gelston,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The 1980 structure overlooks Washington Square Park, which has been proposed for a future downtown ballpark for the Royals, and the site’s full footprint would be 11.6 acres with the addition of the Blue KC building and its sunken parking lot.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2025
-
They are often found around hydrothermal vents, hydrocarbon seeps or with organic falls like sunken wood and whale carcasses.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There are simply not enough possible discretionary, non-defense domestic spending cuts to make a dent in the debt.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
19 Jan. 2025
-
If the label was truly out to torpedo Drake’s career to gain a negotiation advantage, those percentage drops don’t seem significant enough to make a dent.—
Bill Hochberg,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
California’s largest fire in 2024 started when a man pushed a burning car into a ravine near Chico.—
Virginia Iglesias,
The Conversation,
13 Jan. 2025
-
Advertisement Hirschfield raped Gonsalves and dumped both of the teenagers’ bodies in a ravine about 30 miles east of Davis in Sacramento County, where they were found by police three days later.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Next, a tri-grit priming wand steps in to remove dead nail cells and allow for the third step—a hydrating treatment—to penetrate more effectively.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2025
-
City could not penetrate Chelsea’s press in the period after going behind to that early goal.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hollow
Cite this Entry
“Hollow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hollow. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share