doughnut hole
noun
variants
or donut hole
plural doughnut holes or donut holes
1
: a small ball-shaped doughnut
Dip each doughnut hole into the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated.—Lou Ann Thompson
… ordered a container of donut holes with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles …—Victoria Ritter
2
usually donut hole US
: a coverage gap (see coverage sense 1a) for prescription drugs for people with Medicare drug insurance plans wherein the beneficiary pays much more for their prescriptions after exceeding an initial coverage limit and until reaching a yearly limit at which time the beneficiary pays much less or nothing for their prescriptions
… the donut hole is a phase of Part D coverage when you owe up to 25% of the cost of medications rather than your plan's copays and/or coinsurance.—Alex Rosenberg
Note: The donut hole was eliminated at the end of 2024 by the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden in 2022.
Cite this Entry
“Doughnut hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doughnut%20hole. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
