plunge into

phrasal verb

plunged into; plunging into; plunges into
1
: to push (something) into (something) quickly and forcefully
He plunged the knife into the cake.
I plunged the sponge into the bucket of water.
2
: to start doing (something) with enthusiasm and energy
She plunged (right) into the assignment.
3
: to suddenly begin to be in (a particular and usually bad condition or situation)
He plunged into a severe depression.
4
: to cause (someone or something) to suddenly be in (a particular condition or situation)
A series of bad management decisions had plunged the company into debt.
The author plunges his readers into a world of fantasy.

Examples of plunge into in a Sentence

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.
In a matter of minutes, several boats on South Lake Tahoe capsized — in at least two cases, passengers were plunged into cold and choppy waters. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 Otto confidently plunged into the water in pursuit of a tennis ball, while Kaspar hesitated at the edge, requiring both verbal encouragement and physical support to make it into the pool. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025 Iran plunged into a near-total internet blackout Tuesday as Israel continued to bombard the country. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 June 2025 On Friday, June 6, the vehicle veered off the road and plunged into the water at Alum Bay off the coast of the Isle of Wight, which lies 1.2 miles south of England, the BBC reported. Escher Walcott, People.com, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for plunge into

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plunge into.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plunge%20into. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!