to hollow

Examples

• All

• To create the sculpture, the artist decided to hollow out the log from the center.

• Montgomery himself designed the jet-board hull, hollowing out the space beneath the rider's feet to house the engine.

  Academic text (2003)

• And with this, you really want to hollow out your face.

• Follow 'em, then hollow 'em

  Gun (2010)

• Well, you hollow one of these things out and you start looking at the little ... ... little things that are crawling around the soil.

  What in the World Are They Spraying? (2010)

• Just really hollow that crease out in here.

• And any of these things can become hollowed out in that way.

• The side of this hill has been hollowed out.

  This Island Earth (1955)

• On the table lay an open dictionary with pages hollowed out to create a pocket.

  Fiction book (1994)

• Zeke found a big, hollowed-out rock, and we used it for a birdbath.

  Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

D

to dig

vsto hollow

912 1.0

To move earth with a tool to make a hole

applies to general material removal rather than taking out an inner core

E

to empty

vsto hollow

179 1.0

To remove everything from a container or place

implies removing the inner part or core to leave an internal space

E

to excavate

vsto hollow

28 5.8

To dig in the ground to find or remove old objects, often by archaeologists

refers to ground digging for discovery rather than removing an object's interior

H

to hollow out

vsto hollow

8 4.0

Remove the inside of something to leave an empty space

has identical meaning but is the shorter single word form

S

to scoop out

vsto hollow

7 3.3

Remove the inside of something with a spoon or small tool so it becomes hollow

describes manual scooping rather than general removal of inner material

R

to recess

vsto hollow

6 7.4

To make a hollow in a surface so something fits inside

is about removing internal material to make an empty interior rather than a shallow indent

C

to cave

vsto hollow

4 7.5

To hollow rock by water or strong wind

describes natural erosion causing openings rather than deliberate inner removal

V

to void

vsto hollow

2 5.8

To make a place empty by removing all people or things

focuses on creating an internal space by removing inner parts rather than clearing

B

to bore

vsto hollow

1 4.9

To make a hole in something with a tool or with animal teeth

creates a through hole often, rather than removing an inner core to make internal space

C

to core out

vsto hollow

1 5.0

To remove the middle part of a fruit or vegetable, for example the core of an apple

targets the center part specifically rather than the whole interior

C

to cavern

vsto hollow

7.8

To make a large empty space by hollowing rock or ground

suggests a larger and deeper internal space than the basic action

C

to cavern out

vsto hollow

8.3

Make a deep hollow inside rock, like a tunnel

is more extensive and deep than simply removing an inner part

Antonyms

F

to fill

∞ 1.0

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

Idioms

A

all hollow

1 9.9

Shows no real feeling and is not sincere

Phrasal Verbs

H

to hollow out

8 4.0

Remove the inside of something to leave an empty space

R

to ring hollow

4 8.2

To sound not sincere or true to people

B

to beat hollow

8.6

To seem weak or not convincing next to something better

Compounds

H

hollow-back

• Specialized

9.6

A deep inward curve in the lower back that changes posture

H

hollow-horned

9.9

Having horns that are empty inside rather than solid

H

hollow ache

• Literature

7.9

A deep, empty pain in the chest or heart that feels emotional rather than physical

How Empty

to excavate

10 6.0

to gut

• NSFW

122 6.7

to hollow

24 4.8

to scoop out

7 3.3

to carve

272 2.1

Surface Forms

Etymology