Meaning & use

crater

noun·Academic

A large bowl-shaped depression in the ground, often caused by a volcanic eruption, explosion, or impact.

See it in a sentence

The meteorite left a massive crater in the desert thousands of years ago.

Astronauts studied photographs of craters scattered across the moon's surface.

A note on using this word

Crater can also be used informally as a verb meaning to fail badly, as in 'the deal cratered at the last minute.'

Words with a similar meaning

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