Definition of troughnext
1
as in pipe
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas) all of the wiring for the converted residential loft is concealed in a vertical trough

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2
as in ditch
a long narrow channel dug in the earth I slid and fell into the trough by the side of the road, scraping my leg

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3
as in gutter
a pipe or channel for carrying off water from a roof the troughs on the eaves of the house were clogged with leaves

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of trough Capital values across commercial property corrected roughly 19% peak to trough from 2022 to 2024, according to the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, and multifamily continues to trade below peak pricing. Tony Julianelle, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 More storms are possible into the weekend as another slow-moving and deep trough moves into the region. Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 Though the center’s forecast cone for the hurricane puts it in line with a historic, direct hit on the Big Island, forecasters late Saturday morning said a developing low-pressure trough to the west could cause Lala to brush by to the south. Dennis Romero, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026 The strength of the polar vortex is vulnerable to the large ridges and troughs that form in lower levels of the atmosphere and influence how the jet stream moves. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trough
Noun
  • Aguas de La Habana, the state utilities company in the capital, issues daily updates to clients on service interruptions caused by electricity cuts or burst pipes.
    Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The project is expected to start sending water into city pipes as soon as early 2029.
    Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In the spring, when the snow is melting and the springs that are high up in the rock cliffs some miles away are carrying it down full speed, the ditches overflow as does the little creek that runs near my cabin.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Though Sarnia’s industrial corridor is downstream from Lake Huron, several drainage ditches in the area are connected to creeks that flow into the lake, Corcoran said in an interview.
    Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Standing urinals in the form of gutters are found at some Roman public buildings, such as the Colosseum.
    Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The documents detail a sprawling crime scene filled with bullet holes and littered with shell casings recovered from around the church, the neighboring playground and as far away as the walls and gutters of houses in the surrounding neighborhood.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Otherwise, after decades of exclusion, Syria could return to the regional map merely as a fragile conduit for others’ commercial exploits.
    Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Vessels have continued to endure more attacks for sailing through the conduit, which before the war in Iran harbored as much as 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Add the chicest pair of clogs, slim-line sneakers, and the most versatile trench below to your cart.
    Anna Traver, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The film, set in the Belgian trenches of the First World War, follows the love between two young soldiers who try, through art and intimacy, to escape the horrors around them.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Shampoo can come in a rigid plastic bottle, a flexible squeeze tube, a refillable metal canister or a solid bar in a paperboard box.
    Erin Victor, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
  • One photo showed a boat cruising between towering canyon walls, while another captured a tube ride across the water.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The helicopter then returned to the ravine and carried out the same technical maneuver to bring the second climber to safety.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • At the other side of the woods the land dips into a ravine, the great trees end and dense bushes clot the bank.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • This one below is waterproof and has a funnel-neck design that's on trend right now.
    Jenifer Calle, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The funnel of foreign athletes to American colleges, which had experienced steady growth for years, is beginning to show its limits.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 27 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trough. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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