as in caves
a passage that goes under the ground, through a hill, etc.
The train goes through a tunnel in the mountain. The moles dug tunnels in the yard.
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Recent Examples of tunnels
The store is redolent with the aroma of warm chocolate and an ambience evoking the agricultural roots of cacao with plants and growing tunnels.
—
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Images from the home's basement show portions of 19th-century tunnels.
—Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
This method uses directional drilling technology to place waste hundreds of meters underground within stable geological formations rather than excavating large tunnels in a mine.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Russia has been seen modernizing its nuclear facilities, and in recent years, China has expanded its main test site by digging new tunnels.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 11 Feb. 2026
My 11-year-old daughter and I are in awe watching the Masters Agility Championship Preliminaries, where Border Collies and Jack Russell Terriers move like lightning through tunnels and over hurdles.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
Under Erdoğan, Istanbul and the rest of the country has seen a construction craze, with bridges, tunnels, plazas, malls, and roads going up seemingly overnight with little regard to the city’s cultural heritage.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Built by Italian soldiers during WWI, the tunnels are fully restored and go on for more than half a mile along the mountain’s edge.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
These will help prevent moles from building their tunnels close to your plants.
—Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Images from the home's basement show portions of 19th-century tunnels.
—Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
This method uses directional drilling technology to place waste hundreds of meters underground within stable geological formations rather than excavating large tunnels in a mine.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Russia has been seen modernizing its nuclear facilities, and in recent years, China has expanded its main test site by digging new tunnels.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 11 Feb. 2026
My 11-year-old daughter and I are in awe watching the Masters Agility Championship Preliminaries, where Border Collies and Jack Russell Terriers move like lightning through tunnels and over hurdles.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
Under Erdoğan, Istanbul and the rest of the country has seen a construction craze, with bridges, tunnels, plazas, malls, and roads going up seemingly overnight with little regard to the city’s cultural heritage.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Built by Italian soldiers during WWI, the tunnels are fully restored and go on for more than half a mile along the mountain’s edge.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
These will help prevent moles from building their tunnels close to your plants.
—Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tunnels
Noun
-
The Wild Boars youth soccer team, all between 11 to 16 years old, had taken a field trip to the caves on June 23 and were trapped about two miles deep by flooding.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The staff takes care of everything from meal preparation to activity planning (which can include igloo-building, hiking, exploring ice caves, a glacier picnic, and more).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These caverns under sidewalks could be used for storage, and circular pieces of thick glass in the sidewalk added natural light to these eerie underground chambers.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
-
During summer months, the Wyandotte Caves attract visitors who wish to explore the unique underground caverns.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tunnels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tunnels. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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