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tunnel

Transitive VerbIntransitive Verb[C] Countable
pl: tunnelspast: tunneledpp: tunneleding: tunneling

The word evokes a sense of enclosure and transition, focusing on the movement from one point to another through a restricted, dark, or hidden space. It carries a strong association with engineering, secrecy, and the physical sensation of being shielded from the surface world. In a psychological or metaphorical sense, it describes a narrowing of focus where everything else disappears except for a single goal or exit. This creates a feeling of intensity or desperation, as seen when someone describes a state of extreme concentration or a feeling of being trapped with only one way out.

Countable when referring to the physical structures built for transport or drainage, such as three tunnels under the river.

Meanings

Noun

An artificial underground passage.

"The train entered the tunnel at high speed."

Transitive Verb
[someone][something]

To dig a passage under something.

"The moles attempted to tunnel under the garden fence."

Intransitive Verb

To move through a passage or a narrow opening.

"The water began to tunnel through the cracked concrete."

Last Updated: May 28, 2026Report an Error