View synonyms for cave-in

cave-in

[ keyv-in ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a collapse, as of anything hollow:
the worst cave-in in the history of mining.
a place or site of such a collapse.
submission to something or someone previously opposed or resisted:
His cave-in to such unreasonable demands shocked us.

cave in

the sudden collapse of a roof, piece of ground, etc, into a hollow beneath it; subsidence
the site of such a collapse, as at a mine or tunnel
informal.
an instance of yielding completely, esp under pressure

Origin of cave-in¹

First recorded in 1700–10; noun use of verb phrase cave in

It is practically professorial rather than a shameful cave-in.

They have already set a world record for time trapped underground after a cave-in.

The weight of this furnace caused a cave-in near the sentinel's path outside the prison wall.

He attacked the cave-in with the cool energy that characterized him.

If he could force a way through the cave-in there might be safety beyond.

In a little sheltered cove below the site of Cave-in-the-Wood Camp, danced the fleet of canoes.

They had a fine time sailing down the lake and reached the Cave-in-the-Wood Camp at late supper time.

April 20, 2024flabbergast

[flab-er-gast ]

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