hollow out

phrasal verb

hollowed out; hollowing out; hollows out

: to remove the inside of (something) : to make an empty space in (something)

The kids were hollowing out pumpkins.

a hollowed-out log

: 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 These measures, taken together, can yield near-unlimited power, and help an aspiring autocrat maintain their influence over the long-term, while democratic institutions are hollowed out. —

Tibor Dessewffy, TIME, 28 June 2024 Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, on vacation decades ago, walk in dreamlike slow motion in black-and-white along the sidewalk of a downtown now hollowed out and half-abandoned. —

Alison Willmore, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2024 While the structure had been empty for years, timber and lathe were all the fire needed to hollow out the building, which Heggstrom said lacked modern fire-suppression capabilities and fire alarms. —

Vincent Medina, Sacramento Bee, 16 June 2024 Even those who survive war end up hollowed out on the inside, one way or another. 17. —

Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for hollow out

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hollow out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.