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⇱ loophole - WordReference.com Dictionary of English


loophole

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈluːphəʊl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈlupˌhoʊl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(lo̅o̅phōl′)

Inflections of 'loophole' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
loopholes
v 3rd person singular
loopholing
v pres p
loopholed
v past
loopholed
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
loop•hole /ˈlupˌhoʊl/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a narrow opening in the wall of a fort or protected area for looking through or firing weapons.
  2. a means of escape or of avoiding something, esp. a means or opportunity of avoiding following a law, fulfilling a contract, etc.:loopholes in the tax code.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
loop•hole  (lo̅o̅phōl′),USA pronunciation n., v., -holed, -hol•ing. 
n. 
  1. a small or narrow opening, as in a wall, for looking through, for admitting light and air, or, particularly in a fortification, for the discharge of missiles against an enemy outside. See illus. under battlement. 
  2. an opening or aperture.
  3. a means of escape or evasion;
    a means or opportunity of evading a rule, law, etc.:There are a number of loopholes in the tax laws whereby corporations can save money.

v.t. 
  1. to furnish with loopholes.
  • loop2 + hole 1585–95

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
loophole /ˈluːpˌhəʊl/ n
  1. an ambiguity, omission, etc, as in a law, by which one can avoid a penalty or responsibility
  2. a small gap or hole in a wall, esp one in a fortified wall
vb
  1. (transitive) to provide with loopholes
'loophole' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: looking for a loophole, a [potential, security, tax, legal] loophole, take advantage of a loophole, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "loophole" in the title:


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