Meaning & use

spelunk

verb·Advanced

To explore caves as a recreational activity, especially without professional training.

See it in a sentence

They spent the weekend spelunking through a network of limestone caves.

He bought a headlamp and rope before his first attempt to spelunk.

A note on using this word

Spelunk is mainly American English and informal; British English typically prefers 'potholing' or 'caving' for the same activity.

Words with a similar meaning

potholing

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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