gouge out

phrasal verb

gouged out; gouging out; gouges out

: to remove (something) by digging or cutting

The impact of the accident gouged a big piece out of the wall.

He threatened to gouge my eyes out.

: to make (a hole or path) by digging or cutting

The river gouged out a wide path between the mountains.

Examples of gouge out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By comparison, Voltaire’s indictment depicts a more dramatic web of politics and tragedy, featuring a long list of suspects in Haiti, including Martine Moïse, who lay seemingly dead from gunshot wounds after her husband was fatally shot a dozen times and and one of his eyes was gouged out. —

Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 Adult men were lynched, but this was the first time a child was dragged out of his home and had his eye gouged out. —

Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023 The foot-and-a-half long shark latches onto prey with suction lips, digs in with its razor-sharp teeth, and spins its body to gouge out a plug of flesh. —

Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 26 July 2023 Louis Jackson, 23, a shipyard worker, had an eye gouged out after being jumped at 3rd Street and Santa Fe Avenue. —

Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gouge out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.