sink

1 of 2

verb

sank ˈsaŋk How to pronounce sink (audio) or sunk ˈsəŋk How to pronounce sink (audio) ; sunk; sinking

intransitive verb

1
a
: to go to the bottom : submerge
b
: to become partly buried (as in mud)
c
: to become engulfed
2
a(1)
: to fall or drop to a lower place or level
(2)
: to flow at a lower depth or level
(3)
: to burn with lower intensity
(4)
: to fall to a lower pitch or volume
his voice sank to a whisper
b
: to subside gradually : settle
c
: to disappear from view
d
: to slope gradually : dip
3
a
: to soak or become absorbed : penetrate
b
: to become impressively known or felt
the lesson had sunk in
4
: to become deeply absorbed
sank into reverie
5
a
: to go downward in quality, state, or condition
b
: to grow less in amount or worth
6
a
: to fall or drop slowly for lack of strength
b
: to become depressed
c
: to fail in health or strength
broadly : fail

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to sink
sink a battleship
b
: to force down especially below the earth's surface
c
: to cause (something) to penetrate
2
: immerse, absorb
he sank himself into his studies
3
a
: to dig or bore (a well or shaft) in the earth : excavate
b
: to form by cutting or excising
sink words in stone
4
: to cast down or bring to a low condition or state : overwhelm, defeat
5
: to lower in standing or reputation : abase
6
a
: to lessen in value or amount
b
: to lower or soften (the voice) in speaking
7
: restrain, suppress
sinks her pride and approaches the despised neighborRichard Harrison
8
: to pay off (something, such as a debt) : liquidate
9
10
: drop sense 7c
sink a putt
sink a jump shot
11
chiefly British : to drink down completely
sinkable adjective

sink

2 of 2

noun

plural sinks
1
a
: a pool or pit for the deposit of waste or sewage : cesspool
b
: a ditch or tunnel for carrying off sewage : sewer
c
: a stationary basin connected with a drain and usually a water supply for washing and drainage
2
: a place where vice, corruption, or evil collects
3
4
a
: a depression in the land surface
especially : one having a saline lake with no outlet
b
5
: a body or process that acts as a storage device or disposal mechanism: such as
a
: heat sink
broadly : a device that collects or dissipates energy (such as radiation)
b
: a reactant with or absorber of a substance
The oceans are a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).Andrew J. Watson et al.
see also carbon sink
Phrases
sink one's teeth into
1
: to bite into
2
: to eagerly devote one's attention to
likes to sink her teeth into a good book

Examples of sink in a Sentence

Verb The passengers were rescued from the boat before it sank. The rock sank to the bottom of the pool. My foot sank into the deep mud. She sank up to her knees in the snow. The torpedo sank the ship. The sun sank behind the hills. She sank back into the cozy chair. The temperature sinks quickly after the sun sets. The lake's water level is slowly sinking. His strength is slowly sinking. Noun was able to rise above the sink that was his birthplace
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
However the most defeated on the sinking tribe was Bhanu, who accepted his fate as the next to go and began saying goodbye to his dream. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Shares of Dollar Tree sank more than 13% to their lowest level this year in early trading Wednesday. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Members of a pod had been ramming and shaking boats in the area for more than three years, and had now sunk four. Sallie Tisdale, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 The analysis uses satellite imagery to detect sinking and rising land to help paint a more precise picture of exposure to flooding both today and in the future. Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Forbes sank the tying three-pointer to force double overtime against the Bruins. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Investment in property development sank by 7.9% in the first half of 2023, compared to the same period in the prior year. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 Its stock has sunk 28% so far this year, dragged down, in part, by an arson attack on an electricity pylon close to its factory near Berlin, Germany, this week. Anna Cooban, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 In one of Europe’s deadliest shipping disasters in recent years, hundreds of migrants drowned after an overloaded boat sank off the Greek town of Pylos in June 2023. Beatrice Tridimas, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English sincan; akin to Old High German sinkan to sink

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sink was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sink

Cite this Entry

“Sink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sink. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sink

1 of 2 verb
sank ˈsaŋk How to pronounce sink (audio) or sunk ˈsəŋk How to pronounce sink (audio) ; sunk; sinking
1
a
: to move or cause to move downward usually so as to be below the surface or swallowed up
feet sinking into deep mud
sink a ship
b
: to descend gradually lower and lower
the sun sank behind the hills
2
: to lessen in amount or strength
3
: to fall to or into a lower status (as of quality, worth, or number) : decline
sink into decay
4
a
: to penetrate or cause to penetrate
sank my ax into the tree
b
: to become absorbed
the water sank into the dry ground
5
: to form by digging or boring
sink a well
6
: invest entry 2 sense 1
sank a million dollars in the new company
7
: to fail in strength, spirits, or health
my heart sank
sinkable adjective

sink

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: a stationary basin for washing (as in a kitchen) connected with a drain and usually a water supply

More from Merriam-Webster on sink

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