Synonyms for

Tunnel

Verb / ˈtʌnʌl / Another word for tunnel — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

a narrow underground passageway

Synonyms & similar words

burrow passage subway underpass tube corridor shaft chute pipe conduit hole channel adit gallery burrow cave mine excavation borehole well vent

Synonyms by register

Formal

passage conduit bore gallery

Informal

hole pipe way through

Literary

subterranean passage earthly vein

Antonyms

surface open exterior above top outdoors

Common collocations

  • tunnel vision
  • escape tunnel
  • railway tunnel
  • road tunnel
  • tunnel boring machine
  • tunnel through
  • dig a tunnel
  • emerge from the tunnel

Word family

noun tunnel
verb tunnel

Usage note

While 'tunnel' can refer to any underground passage, it is often associated with man-made structures for transportation. 'Tunnel vision' is a common idiom referring to a narrow or restricted perspective.

Example sentences

  1. The train went through a dark tunnel.
  2. A mole digs tunnels underground.
  3. The ants made a tunnel to their colony.
  4. The miners used dynamite to make a tunnel in the rock.
  5. The car drove through the underwater tunnel.

Quotes

  • "There is light at the end of the tunnel, but the way out is through." - David Allen
  • "The tunnel may be dark, but the light is always there." - A.C. Williams
  • "The tunnel is a metaphor for life." - Paulo Coelho

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