open-pit
adjective
US
: involving the removal of the surface of a large area of land to get at a mineral or other material that is near to the surface
an open-pit mine
Examples of open-pit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The country is one of the world's top coal producers, primarily sourcing it from Mpumalanga, where open-pit mines and aging power stations are prevalent.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
The DeLamar Project in Owyhee County is an open-pit mine that Integra Resources acquired in 2017.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
Even telescopes in darker, more secluded regions – like northern Chile or western Texas – experience light pollution from industrial activities like open-pit mining or oil and gas facilities.
—Richard Green, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Issues with the permitting process had halted the plans until the late 1980s, when Flambeau Mining Co., a subsidiary of Kennecott, reassessed the project and decided that the deposits could be sufficiently reached using only an open-pit mine for a short period.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open-pit
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.
Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
The DeLamar Project in Owyhee County is an open-pit mine that Integra Resources acquired in 2017.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
Even telescopes in darker, more secluded regions – like northern Chile or western Texas – experience light pollution from industrial activities like open-pit mining or oil and gas facilities.
—Richard Green, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Issues with the permitting process had halted the plans until the late 1980s, when Flambeau Mining Co., a subsidiary of Kennecott, reassessed the project and decided that the deposits could be sufficiently reached using only an open-pit mine for a short period.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open-pit
Cite this Entry
“Open-pit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-pit. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share