rabbit hole

American  

[rab-it hohl] / ˈræb ɪt ˌhoʊl /

noun

1. a tunnel made in the ground by a rabbit; a rabbit burrow.

2. Informal. a strange, disorienting, or frustrating situation or experience, typically one that is difficult to navigate: I have been down the rabbit hole of building a new home.

   I had a history of depression and occasionally fell down dark, deep rabbit holes from which only medication and therapy could pull me out.

   I have been down the rabbit hole of building a new home.

3. Informal. a time-consuming distraction of one's attention as happens when clicking through online links, following social media posts, or pursuing information.

   After diving down an internet rabbit hole and poring over treatments, risks, and so on, she felt even more panicked.

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Etymology

Origin of rabbit hole

First recorded in 1660–70; rabbit hole def. 2 was first recorded in 1935–40, from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Example Sentences

Years of studying the weather and diving down the rabbit hole of climate change science online had prepared her for this moment.

From Literature

But your question sent me down a rabbit hole and I’m proud to report that I’ve found a handful of spots and regular events that you should check out in your area.

From Los Angeles Times

Whatever pops up, we go down that rabbit hole.

From Los Angeles Times

Martin suggested that he had "fallen down a rabbit hole" during the pandemic and denied he had ever intended to commit any violent acts himself.

From BBC

“You have a hunch, you have a gut feeling, you sort of go down a rabbit hole,” she said, “and you hope that it works.”

From Los Angeles Times