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
  • The trio were found hiding in a ditch about 200 yards from where they were pulled over, according to the news release.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The deceased victim was allegedly taking a smoke break while working on a rental property when at least five stray dogs lunged at him and dragged him across the street into a ditch, according to KMOV.
    Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 30 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
  • The design introduced major changes to the forward section of the submarine, including a Large Aperture Bow sonar array and two Virginia Payload Tubes replacing the 12 individual vertical-launch tubes used on earlier boats.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Mehta said federal Bureau of Prisons medical staff can feed Lakanwal intravenously or through a medical tube to save his life.
    Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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