caves 1 of 2

plural of cave
as in caverns
a naturally formed underground chamber with an opening to the surface Kentucky's Mammoth Cave is actually a series of large chambers on five levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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caves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cave

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 caves
Noun
Shot across the teeming city streets and the majestic underground caves of Ireland, Bucking Fastard features operatic imagery from the director’s longtime cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Decades later, the government was still buying surplus cheese and storing it in vast underground caves in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Kansas, warehouses cool enough to hold the cheese for years without spoiling. Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 Dunlap Hollow Millions of visitors every year hike through Hocking Hills’ sandstone caves, but very few get to spend the night in one. Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 9 Aug. 2026 In addition, employees of the Wuhan Institute traveled to the bat caves and may have returned home carrying the virus. David J. Hunter, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026 Kat and Aesha take the guests swimming in some nearby caves while the rest of the crew holds down the fort. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026 On one end is the Valley of Gangala, a series of ancient limestone caves with Paleolithic archeological sites and massive banyan trees said to host sacred spirits. Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026 Their headlamps piercing the watery dark, the group swims along (only Sara has accepted a life jacket), admiring the bats and stalactites while Wat reminds them to respect the caves. Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 These unusual conditions explain why Sara discovers an ominous dead saltwater fish inside the caves before the group encounters a much larger ocean creature. Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caves
Noun
  • Moreover, pumping so much cool water inside the caverns, which naturally have a higher temperature, can result in thermal shock, causing large pieces of salt to fall and break, potentially damaging the extraction pipes within the cavern.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The Energy Department has said at least 70 million barrels must remain in the reserve to safely manage the caverns.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Firewise is a national program where each community of eight to 200 homes works together to create defensible space and clear brush, agrees to continue the work annually and submits an application to Firewise USA.
    Chuck Page, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The agency’s bid analysis reflects a process in which each Part D sponsor that wants to offer a standalone plan submits a bid to CMS every year, outlining the insurer’s benefits, costs and list of reimbursable medicines.
    Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Boats depart from here for island tours, including to the famous Blue Grotto and other smaller grottoes and coves.
    Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026
  • For Reykjavik native Gulla Jónsdóttir, the Aurora Borealis phenomena, molten-red erupting volcanoes, black sand shores and hot water grottoes were part of everyday life growing up.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • This process yields short-chain fatty acids, such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate, which serve as an energy source for cells lining the colon, strengthen the intestinal barrier, regulate inflammation, and influence systemic metabolism.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The film’s observational intensity yields a form of symbolic realism that highlights both the action and its import—both the drama and the ideas and systems that undergird it.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • After Jamie Gittens overruns the ball, Jorrel Hato picks up the pieces and reworks the move out wide to Cole Palmer.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Pythons are constrictors, known to grip prey in their jaws, coil around it, then squeeze until the victim capitulates.
    Mark Price, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025

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“Caves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caves. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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