tunnel

noun
UK: /ˈtʌn.əl/
US: /ˈtʌn.əl/

  1. A passage under the ground, through a hill, or under a building.

    1. The train went into the tunnel. [ ] [ ]
    2. Engineers are building a new tunnel under the river to ease traffic. [ ] [ ]

  2. An underground passage made by an animal.

    1. The rabbit disappeared into its tunnel. [ ] [ ]
    2. We found a network of tunnels created by moles in the garden. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

passageway underpass subway excavate bore
tunnel verb

  1. To dig a passage under the ground or through something.

    1. The miners tunnelled through the mountain. [ ] [ ]
    2. They tunnelled under the wall to escape from the prison. [ ] [ ]

  2. To make a passage or route by digging.

    1. The protesters tunnelled a route to the building. [ ] [ ]
    2. The soldiers tunnelled their way to the enemy's camp during the night. [ ] [ ]
tunnel intransitive-verb

  1. To move through a narrow space or tunnel.

    1. The car tunnelled through the crowd. [ ] [ ]
    2. The swimmer tunnelled through the water with great speed and power. [ ] [ ]
tunnel transitive-verb

  1. To create by digging.

    1. The company tunnelled a passage to reach resources. [ ] [ ]
    2. They tunnelled a passageway so that they could access the new building. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "tunnel" in English means: A passage under the ground, through a hill, or under a building., An underground passage made by an animal..

The phonetic transcription of "tunnel" is /ˈtʌn.əl/ in British English and /ˈtʌn.əl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "tunnel": passageway, underpass, subway, excavate, bore.

Example usage of "tunnel": "The train went into the tunnel.". More examples on the page.