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foxhole

American  
[foks-hohl] / ˈfɒksˌhoʊl /

noun

  1. a small pit, usually for one or two soldiers, dug as a shelter in a battle area.

foxhole British  
/ ˈfɒksˌhəʊl /

noun

  1. military a small pit dug during an action to provide individual shelter against hostile fire

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of foxhole

First recorded in 1915–20; fox + hole

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They said they saw Hodniuk emerge from the foxhole unarmed with his hands up after Kurashov called for Ukrainians to come out of their foxholes and surrender.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

And because Morris, like James said, has been in the foxhole with him, he can even get on the NBA’s all-time leading scorer when the moment calls for it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2025

Combining the lidar data with on-site investigation can reveal insights ranging from a single soldier digging a foxhole to “the global narrative of World War II.”

From Science Magazine • Aug. 14, 2023

“You’re seeing a few foxhole conversions as we approach the ’24 election,” Mr. Daines, Montana Republican, told The Times.

From Washington Times • Jun. 19, 2023

It was a foxhole with sandbags around the top, and boards at the bottom to stand on.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.