抜(ぬ)け穴(あな)

ぬけあな
noun
loophole; secret passage
lawbuilding
1. loophole; gap in the rules
A flaw in a law, contract, or system that lets someone evade its intent without technically breaking it. The most common sense in modern use, especially in news and business.
法律(ほうりつ)の抜(ぬ)け穴(あな)をふさぐ。
To close a legal loophole.
この規則(きそく)には抜(ぬ)け穴(あな)がある。
There's a loophole in this rule.
制度(せいど)の抜(ぬ)け穴(あな)を利用(りよう)して税金(ぜいきん)を逃(のが)れる企業(きぎょう)が問題(もんだい)になっている。
Companies exploiting loopholes in the system to avoid taxes have become a problem.
2. secret passage; escape tunnel; hole leading through
A hidden or unofficial passage that leads out of or through somewhere — a tunnel under a castle, a gap in a fence, a shortcut people have worn through.
塀(へい)に抜(ぬ)け穴(あな)があった。
There was a hole through the wall.
城(しろ)には昔(むかし)、抜(ぬ)け穴(あな)があったと言(い)われている。
The castle is said to have had a secret passage long ago.
子(こ)どもたちは生垣(いけがき)の抜(ぬ)け穴(あな)を通(とお)って公園(こうえん)へ近道(ちかみち)していた。
The children were taking a shortcut to the park through a gap in the hedge.

The literal sense 2 (a hole you can slip through) is the older one; sense 1 applies the same image to rules.

Common collocations

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 盲点(もうてん) (a blind spot)
Related: 抜(ぬ)け道(みち) (shortcut)
general
Added 2026.8.14 3:28 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
30500/30628_nukeana