hole-in-the-wall

noun

ˈhōl-in-ṯẖə-ˈwȯl How to pronounce hole-in-the-wall (audio)
plural holes-in-the-wall
: a small and often unpretentious out-of-the-way place (such as a restaurant)

Examples of hole-in-the-wall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This charming hole-in-the-wall donut shop makes fresh donuts each day. — Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 1 July 2026 In hole-in-the-wall restaurants and sprawling football stadiums. — Juliana Kim, NPR, 1 July 2026 The Library, a delightfully ratty East Village hole-in-the-wall, is no exception. — Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 The village deserves a few hours on foot, too—the Old Town's narrow streets are lined with independent art galleries, hole-in-the-wall pastry shops, and a mix of designer boutiques and summer pop-ups. — Karli Poliziani, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hole-in-the-wall

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hole-in-the-wall was in 1856

Rhymes for hole-in-the-wall

See All Rhymes for hole-in-the-wall

Browse Nearby Words

hole in one
hole-in-the-wall
holeless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hole-in-the-wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hole-in-the-wall. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All