to cave

Examples

• All

• The room caved in on me, with its green walls and white light.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Barely has she taken this in when the ground caves in under her!

  Fiction book (1990)

• The mountains and safety are barely a mile away when the earth caves in!

  Fiction book (1990)

• Stage V: The banks continue to cave into the stream, widening the channel.

  Academic text (2003)

• He knocked out all his sparring partners, smashed up the ring... and he hit the heavy bag so hard that the ceiling caved in.

  Let's Do It Again (1975)

• After the flood receded, the results were obvious: vast tracts of land had caved into the flood, and the arroyo channels had moved hundreds of feet.

  Academic text (1990)

• Heavy rains caused the hillside to cave in, blocking the road with mud and debris.

• The river's relentless flow began to cave the rocky bank, altering its shape over time.

Synonyms

E

to excavate

vsto cave

10 6.0

To make a hole by removing earth or rock

hollows by water or wind rather than planned digging

U

to undermine

vsto cave

8 6.8

Remove the ground or support under something so it becomes weak

hollows by surface forces not focused on undercutting support

C

to cavern out

vsto cave

8.3

Make a deep hollow inside rock, like a tunnel

hollows by natural forces but is usually less deep

C

to cavern

vsto cave

7.8

To make a large empty space by hollowing rock or ground

hollows by natural forces rather than any deliberate digging

Antonyms

F

to fill

∞ 1.0

To make a place full by putting people or things into it

Phrasal Verbs

C

to cave in

22 3.7

Suddenly fall inward because its sides or top become weak, for example a tunnel

C

to cave in

• Informal

21 4.8

Give in to pressure or strong requests after resisting

C

to cave to

• Informal

5 7.6

To give in to pressure or demands from others

Compounds

C

cave-in

9 7.1

A sudden collapse of the ground or a building into the space below

M

man cave

8 5.1

A room in a home where a man relaxes and enjoys hobbies

C

cave dweller

1 6.0

A person or animal that lives in a cave, often in ancient times

C

cave man

1 4.3

A very early person who lived in caves long ago

C

cave woman

1 6.7

A woman from long ago who lived in caves and used simple tools

C

cave bat

8.6

A small dull yellow-brown flying animal with large ears that lives in caves

C

cave dweller

7.4

A person who lives alone and avoids meeting other people

C

cave myotis

• Specialized

9.9

A small bat with large ears that lives in caves in the southwestern United States and Mexico

C

Cave of Adullam

• Literature

9.9

A safe place where people who are sad or in trouble meet and find support

F

Fingal's Cave

9.3

A large sea cave on the island of Staffa in Scotland with tall dark rock columns and strong echoes

M

Mammoth Cave National Park

3.6

A national park in Kentucky with a very large cave system and an underground river

W

Wind Cave National Park

5.2

A national park in South Dakota with limestone caves and bison herds

How Deep

to cave

4 7.5

to bore

1 4.9

dent

46 1.0

scratch

203 1.6

Surface Forms

Etymology