tunnel

1 of 2

noun

tun·​nel ˈtə-nᵊl How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
Synonyms of tunnelnext
1
a
: a covered passageway
specifically : a horizontal passageway through or under an obstruction
b
: a subterranean gallery (as in a mine)
c
: burrow
2
: a hollow conduit or recess : tube, well
tunnellike
ˈtə-nᵊl-ˌ(l)īk How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
adjective

tunnel

2 of 2

verb

tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling
ˈtən-liŋ, 
ˈtə-nᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce tunnel (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to make or use a tunnel
2
physics : to pass through a potential barrier
electrons tunneling through an insulator between semiconductors

transitive verb

: to make a tunnel or similar opening through or under
also : to make (one's way) by or as if by making a tunnel
tunneler
ˈtən-lər, 
ˈtə-nᵊl-ər How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
noun

Examples of tunnel in a Sentence

Noun The train goes through a tunnel in the mountain. The moles dug tunnels in the yard. Verb Workers are tunneling through the hill. Insects had tunneled into the tree.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Fuel savings confirmed in tests The redesign involved computational fluid dynamics simulations, wind-tunnel experiments, and track testing. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 Most of the mayhem takes place on the ship (filmed on a soundstage in Vancouver), with only about 15 minutes of the movie set in New York — and most of that is in a sewer tunnel. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
The insects tunnel their way into the trunk, impeding the tree’s water and nutrient supply and killing it within a year. — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026 On the North Side, a site is being prepped for the digging of an access tunnel 70 feet in diameter into which a giant boring machine will begin tunneling 15 miles under and along our three rivers. — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tunnel

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tonel cask, tun, from Anglo-French, from tone tun

First Known Use

Noun

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1795, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tunnel was in 1508

Phrases Containing tunnel

Rhymes for tunnel

See All Rhymes for tunnel

Browse Nearby Words

tunned
tunnel
tunnel diode
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tunnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tunnel. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tunnel

1 of 2 noun
tun·​nel ˈtən-ᵊl How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
: a passage under the ground
tunnellike
-ᵊl-ˌ(l)īk How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
adjective

tunnel

2 of 2 verb
tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling
ˈtən-liŋ, 
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to make a tunnel

Medical Definition

tunnel

noun
tun·​nel ˈtən-ᵊl How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
: a bodily channel see carpal tunnel

More from Merriam-Webster on tunnel

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tunnel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tunnel

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