dunk

1 of 2

verb

ˈdəŋk 

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

Synonyms of dunk

Verb

• dip
• duck

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

Verb

One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026

Jacob Wilkins, Dominique’s 19-year-old son, is a 6-foot-9 freshman forward for the Bulldogs known for similar off-the-charts athleticism and dunking prowess. —Mirin Fader, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

Noun

The Pistons turned the ball over and Harden fed Ivica Zubac for a dunk to make a three-point game. —CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026

The Hurricanes raced to a 9-0 lead on back-to-back dunks by freshman Shelton Henderson, extended the gap to 17-4 and led 47-33 at halftime. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2026

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

Phrases Containing dunk

• dunk on
• dunk shot

Rhymes for dunk

• bunk
• chunk
• clunk
• drunk
• hunk
• junk
• punk
• shrunk
• slunk
• spunk
• sunk
• trunk

Kids Definition

dunk

verb

ˈdəŋk

1

: to dip (as a doughnut) into liquid (as coffee)

2

: to plunge oneself into water