dunked; dunking; dunks
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
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
Ronaldo Bolaños, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Before some of the NBA’s best players spent Valentine’s Day Saturday in competitive 3-point shooting and dunking exhibitions, Commissioner Adam Silver gave his best lawyerly answers in a half-hour-long news conference focused largely on unethical hoops.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The freshman guard scored five points, including an emphatic dunk that led to a three-point play, as part of a big run that helped Gonzaga to a 41-29 lead at halftime.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dunk
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
The Spurs’ Carter Bryant moves the ball between his legs in midair before dunking during the all-star dunk contest on Saturday.
—Ronaldo Bolaños, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Before some of the NBA’s best players spent Valentine’s Day Saturday in competitive 3-point shooting and dunking exhibitions, Commissioner Adam Silver gave his best lawyerly answers in a half-hour-long news conference focused largely on unethical hoops.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Clippers went ahead by four on free throws from Mathurin and Jones, but Murray drove for a dunk and hit a three before drawing the foul by Jones on a last-ditch attempt from beyond the arc.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The freshman guard scored five points, including an emphatic dunk that led to a three-point play, as part of a big run that helped Gonzaga to a 41-29 lead at halftime.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dunk
Cite this Entry
“Dunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunk. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
