troughs

noun

plural of trough
1
as in pipes
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in gutters
a pipe or channel for carrying off water from a roof the troughs on the eaves of the house were clogged with leaves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 troughs 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 Free mosquitofish are also available through the Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District for ponds, troughs and other standing water that cannot be drained. — Jessie Baltaxe, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Where the largest earners can afford to spend heavily year-on-year, the rest are beholden to peaks and troughs. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 This is because light waves in these sources stay synchronized with their peaks and troughs, making predictable patterns that were thought essential for photon entanglement. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 Peaks, troughs, breaks, beginnings, and endings shape the quality of decisions. — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 Possible mosquito breeding areas can include fish ponds, swimming pools, spas, standing water, tree holes, containers, bird baths, roof gutters, pet water bowls, street gutters, wading pools and watering troughs. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026 Wooden ladder planters with zinc troughs provide an easy way to achieve vertical gardening in small spaces such as patios. — Midwest Living, 22 Apr. 2026 Gass said a series of upper-level troughs are expected to influence the region through the week, keeping the temperatures from climbing higher. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troughs
  1. pipes
  2. ditches
  3. gutters
  4. conduits
  5. trenches
  6. tubes
  7. ravines
  8. channels
Noun
  • Rather than relying on conventional coolant pumps, the company’s design uses heat pipes to transport thermal energy from the reactor core toward the power-conversion system.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • That brine flows back to the plant through underground pipes.
    — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pipes
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
Definition of ditches
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
  • From cleaning out our gutters and power washing your deck to prepping your cabinets for flue season and switching out your bedding, here's what should be on your home checklist as summer comes to an end.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of gutters
Noun
  • However, developing specialized buoyant materials, underwater conduits, and anti-corrosive gear come with a premium price tag.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Notably, optics technology isn't just being used to power alternatives to more traditional data conduits.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of conduits
Noun
  • 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
  • Nearby, blueberry bushes cover old foxholes, trenches and deep craters from artillery fire.
    — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of trenches
Noun
  • Crews can reload its launch tubes after firing, allowing the same hardware to support multiple training events.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Its skyline is dominated by towering smokestacks, hulking arrays of metal tubes and bright flames erupting from flares at petrochemical plants in the global plastics supply chain.
    — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of tubes
Noun
  • Lake Overstreet has about five miles of multi-use trails through live oaks (a northern Florida staple), hills and ravines surrounding a secluded 144-acre lake.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Rising from near the Aegean coast to 9,573-foot Mytikas, Greece’s highest peak, the mountain encompasses forests, ravines, limestone cliffs, and alpine habitat with unusually rich plant diversity.
    — Bailey Berg, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of ravines
Noun
  • The rare meeting underscored Washington's willingness to reopen high-level diplomatic channels with Moscow, even as European allies have intended to keep the nation isolated while the war continues.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As the graphic below shows, Fernandez-Pardo is comfortable running in-behind down the channels and sending in crosses, as well as beating his defender and cutting balls back for team-mates.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of channels

Browse Nearby Words

trough
troughs
trounce
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Cite this Entry

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

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