sinkhole

American  

[singk-hohl] / ˈsɪŋkˌhoʊl /

noun

• sinkholes
  plural

1. a hole formed in soluble rock by the action of water, serving to conduct surface water to an underground passage.

2. Also called sink.  a depressed area in which waste or drainage collects.

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sinkhole British  

/ ˈsɪŋkˌhəʊl /

noun

1. Also called (esp Brit): swallow hole.  a depression in the ground surface, esp in limestone, where a surface stream disappears underground

2. a place into which foul matter runs

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sinkhole Scientific  

/ sĭngk′hōl′ /

1. A natural depression in a land surface formed by the dissolution and collapse of a cavern roof. Sinkholes are roughly funnel-shaped and on the order of tens of meters in size. They generally occur in limestone regions and are connected to subteranean passages.

2. Also called sink

3. See more at karst topography

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sinkholes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sinkhole

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at sink, hole

Explanation

A sinkhole is a dent or dip in the ground that's caused by a collapsing surface. Most sinkholes result from erosion. Water is basically what causes sinkholes; certain kinds of rock naturally dissolve over time from being repeatedly saturated, and the result can be a depression or sunken spot in the ground. Some underground caverns and caves are the result of sinkholes. Human-caused collapses are often referred to as sinkholes too. These occur when unused mines collapse, or in urban environments where water or sewer pipes leak and cause concrete above them to crack and sink.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sinkhole sinkholes

Pounding surf lashing the swanky California enclave of Malibu on Tuesday opened up a giant sinkhole on the driveway of a house reportedly belonging to US actor Nicolas Cage.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

The home’s driveway had collapsed into a 30-by-30-foot sinkhole caused by coastal erosion, according to KTLA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

"In some areas, you'll find a different sinkhole every 100 meters," says Lazaro Viñola López, a postdoctoral researcher at the Field Museum in Chicago and the study's lead author.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

A massive sinkhole nearly 30 feet deep swallowed his backyard, coming within 3 feet of the house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

And then the cart and Louisiana and Bunny were gone, clattering down the hill at an impossible speed, headed right for the pond that used to be a sinkhole.

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo

People living in informal settlements built on mine waste dumps are falling ill and more "houses will crack and fall into sinkholes", he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The discovery of sinkholes near a railway bridge in south London has caused the suspension of train services on Sunday to Gatwick Airport and Brighton.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

Runoff from wildfire burn areas or bacteria such as E. coli could enter sinkholes connected to Roaring Springs Cave and reach the water supply.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 2, 2026

During more than four decades as a private-equity investor, he swung from gushers of profit to sinkholes of red ink.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025

He’d been trying to ignore the dead praetor, but now Varus walked over, surrounded in a hazy white aura, his deep-set eyes like sinkholes.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan