pothole

noun

pot·​hole ˈpät-ˌhōl How to pronounce pothole (audio)
1
a
: a circular hole formed in the rocky bed of a river by the grinding action of stones or gravel whirled round by the water
b
: a sizable rounded often water-filled depression in land
2
: a pot-shaped hole in a road surface
3
: a usually minor difficulty or setback
hit a pothole in her comeback attempt
potholed adjective

Examples of pothole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first obstacle is a massive 8-ft (2.5-m) pothole filled with water. New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2025 And then now imagine the pothole gets a little bit bigger and a little bit deeper and the road's a little bit more cracked up. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025 The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure NDOT has six pothole repair crews out identifying and repairing potholes on primary and secondary routes and assessments will continue on neighborhood streets. Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024 The pothole Brenda had seen was on its way to becoming a crevasse. Gary Greenberg, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pothole 

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pothole was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near pothole

Cite this Entry

“Pothole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pothole. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

pothole

noun
pot·​hole ˈpät-ˌhōl How to pronounce pothole (audio)
: a deep round hole (as in a road)

More from Merriam-Webster on pothole

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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