trough

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 That long trough in the industry left an enduring shortage of new homes, which in turn caused a feverish bidding-up of existing properties. Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 In this case, a trough is expected to set up over the Eastern United States, drawing in cooler than normal air to the Midwest and Northeast from Canada. Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025 That 2023 party was his final slurp at the trough. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025 This effect is amplified by the natural asymmetry of sea waves – their crests are typically sharper and steeper than their flatter troughs. Francesco Fedele, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trough
Noun
  • The music thumped away, though at reduced volume, the bats performed their acrobatics over the pool, the hash pipe glowed, people began to yawn.
    T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Zajicek, signed in the offseason, had thus far played all his hockey in his native Czechia but looked right at home between the pipes for the B’s.
    Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In the clip, the water in the ditch resembles lava.
    David Chiu, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Heavy rainfall will cause extensive and severe flash flooding of creeks, streams and ditches in the Tehama County Division of the Park Fire Burn Scar.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Bolster or reattach sagging gutters, tighten up screws, and seal any cracks or leaks with gutter sealant.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Remove standing water from your flowerpots, gutters, pool covers, pet dishes, or birdbaths.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The Western States Petroleum Association has been warning California lawmakers since last year that dwindling Central Valley oil production risked shuttering pipelines such as the San Pablo Bay conduit.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • By February, Dudek had become the conduit between DOGE and the SSA, alerting top agency officials that DOGE wanted to work at headquarters.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While many were watching the models wearing the storied Manhattan house's spring 2026 designs—which included oversized slacks, trenches, and a touch of chiffon—we were rapt by Fanning's hair.
    Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2025
  • In video footage of the tragedy obtained by ViralPress, Praphrom could be seen inspecting a collapsed road from a trench opening below, before soil and concrete fell and struck the back of his neck, pinning him to the ground and burying him.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The loitering munition systems empowers the warfighter with quick and easy deployment via tube-launch, and the capability to fly, track and engage non-line-of-sight targets and armored vehicles with precision lethal effects without the need for external ISR or fires assets.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Some include the Madrid train bombings, where 193 died in 2004, the 2005 London tube bombings with 56 dead, and an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester where 23 were killed in 2017.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • If no alternative exists, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Marketing must shift from campaign execution to commercial system design, from MQL handoffs to full-funnel revenue ownership and from static planning to adaptive iteration.
    Cameron Partridge, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Use a funnel to fill the feeder to avoid drips and spills on the exterior.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Trough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trough. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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