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Definition of "cave-in" [cave-in]

  • A collapse, as of a tunnel or structure. (noun)
  • A place where a cave-in has occurred. (noun)
  • An act or instance of ceasing opposition or resistance: The vote was seen as a cave-in to the demands of the administration. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "cave-in" in a sentence
  • "The collapse of a footbridge near the main track-and-field stadium and the cave-in of a weightlifting venue highlight the weak construction at some venues."
  • "Smart application of technology has made life underground more tolerable for the 33 Chilean miners who have been buried beneath 2,200 feet of rock and earth since a cave-in on Aug. 5."
  • "The miners have been trapped below ground since a massive cave-in on Aug. 5."
Words like "cave-in"