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dunk

1 of 2

verb

dunked; dunking; dunks

transitive verb

1
: to dip (something, such as a piece of bread) into a beverage while eating
2
: to dip or submerge temporarily in liquid
3
: to throw (a basketball) into the basket from above the rim see also dunk on

intransitive verb

1
: to submerge oneself in water
2
: to make a dunk shot in basketball

dunk

2 of 2

noun

: the act or action of dunking
especially : dunk shot

Examples of dunk in a Sentence

Verb I like to dunk my doughnut in my coffee. She dunked him while they were swimming. He dunked the ladle into the soup. He could dunk when he was 16. Noun The pass led to a dunk.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
His team responded with a quick turnover but eventually settled down and rode another tenacious defensive effort – and three straight Pharaoh Compton dunks – to get him his 200th career victory as head coach. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025 For example, Creamed Corn is dunked in a bright yellow fudge with a light yellow drizzle while the Turkey & Stuffing cookies are aptly brown and, well, brown. Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
After finally signing his first multi-year contract with the Indiana Pacers, the three-time dunk contest champion was released earlier this month. Jori Parys, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025 Murray’s first dunk of the season came on a fast break midway through the third quarter. Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dunk

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn — more at tinge

First Known Use

Verb

1926, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dunk was in 1926

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunk. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

dunk

verb
ˈdəŋk
1
: to dip (as a doughnut) into liquid (as coffee)
2
: to plunge oneself into water

More from Merriam-Webster on dunk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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