cave-in
Americannoun
-
a collapse, as of anything hollow.
the worst cave-in in the history of mining.
-
a place or site of such a collapse.
-
submission to something or someone previously opposed or resisted.
His cave-in to such unreasonable demands shocked us.
verb
-
to collapse; subside
-
informal to yield completely, esp under pressure
noun
-
the sudden collapse of a roof, piece of ground, etc, into a hollow beneath it; subsidence
-
the site of such a collapse, as at a mine or tunnel
-
informal an instance of yielding completely, esp under pressure
-
Fall in, collapse, as in The earthquake made the walls cave in . [Early 1700s]
-
Give in, admit defeat, as in The prosecutor's questions soon made the witness cave in . [Early 1800s]
-
Collapse, faint, or die from exhaustion, as in After a twenty-mile hike I caved in . [Mid-1800s]
Etymology
Origin of cave-in
First recorded in 1700–10; noun use of verb phrase cave in
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.
Yes, critics called it a cave-in.
From Barron's
And they do not suggest massive subsidence or a cave-in of the mountain.
From BBC
“Combining this freshly loosened powder with the practically unheard of levels of precipitation created a significant increased risk of cave-in,” the lawsuit said.
From Los Angeles Times
The cave-in happened around 3:30 a.m.
From Seattle Times
Authorities have not said what caused the cave-in but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods.
From Reuters
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.
