plural caves
1
: a natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff
2
: a usually underground chamber for storage
a wine cave
also
: the articles stored there
3
: a place providing privacy or seclusion from others
When a friend dragged her out of her cave to go salsa dancing for the first time, the rhythms … stepped into her soul …—
Leslie Guttman
see also man cave
Leslie Guttman
caved; caving
1
: to fall in or down especially from being undermined
—usually used with in
2
: to cease to resist : submit
—usually used with in
: to cause to fall or collapse
—usually used with in
Examples of cave in a Sentence
Noun
Kentucky's Mammoth Cave is actually a series of large chambers on five levels.
Verb (2)
the wall caved in when a tree fell on it
I caved in to my bibliomania and bought two more books last week
Recent Examples on the Web
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Then there’s the two subterranean lakes that have made the cave so iconic.
—Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Brazil’s current president has thus far refused to cave to the pressure, strongly defending his country’s democratic process and rule of law.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cave
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Noun
In the late 1950s, archaeologists discovered a cave in the Rio Zape Valley of Mexico.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Then there’s the two subterranean lakes that have made the cave so iconic.
—Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
The final straw for the City Council came over the summer, when city officials learned that the roof was at risk of caving in because of unpermitted construction work done at the site.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Brazil’s current president has thus far refused to cave to the pressure, strongly defending his country’s democratic process and rule of law.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cave
Cite this Entry
“Cave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cave. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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