sinker

noun sink·er \ ˈsiŋ-kər \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Definition of sinker

1 : one that sinks; specifically : a weight for sinking a fishing line, seine, or sounding line

2 : doughnut

3 : a fastball that sinks as it reaches the plate — called also sinker ball

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Recent Examples of sinker from the Web

Last year, Strom helped transform Charlie Morton’s approach from sinker-heavy to one that emphasizes fastballs up and curveballs down.

— tyler kepner, New York Times, "At 69, This Coach Lives on the Front Line of Baseball’s Revolution," 1 June 2018
Their fishing rigs, baited with sea worms and squid and anchored with pyramid sinkers, could not tempt the tautog, who preferred barnacles and crabs.

— robert f. kennedy, Town & Country, "Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Describes What It's Really Like Inside the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport," 1 June 2018
Verdugo smoked a double into the right-field corner on a two-seam sinker from Arizona starter Zack Godley.

— andy mccullough, latimes.com, "Dodgers get a much-needed win over Diamondbacks but lose starter Hyun-Jin Ryu to a groin injury," 3 May 2018
At the same time, his sinker usage remained flat around 16.5%.

— michael beller, SI.com, "The Astros Have Gerrit Cole Looking Like an Ace Again and It's Thanks to His Knuckle-Curveball," 11 Apr. 2018
Of course, falling hook, line, and sinker for facts in campaign ads is akin to believing the artisanal chef in Taco Bell commercials.

— doug turnbull, ajc, "Gridlock Guy: Don’t just believe campaign half-truths about traffic," 18 May 2018
Then Jose Martinez, the journeyman minor leaguer who now anchors the middle of the Cardinals’ order, smacked a low 96-mile-per-hour sinker deep to center field off Familia.

— james wagner, New York Times, "Noah Syndergaard Shines, but Mets’ Bullpen Lets a Win Slip Away," 26 Apr. 2018
His four-seam fastball is slightly faster (94 mph) than his sinker (93).

— richard morin, azcentral, "Game Day: Diamondbacks meet the Padres for first time in 2018," 19 Apr. 2018
One end of the swivel had 12 inches of monofilament and a 1/2 ounce bell sinker tied to it, the other had 36 inches of leader material and a fly.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Wolf River walleye run signals start of spring in Wisconsin," 31 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sinker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of sinker

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in the meaning defined at sense 1

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SINKER Defined for English Language Learners

sinker

noun

Definition of sinker for English Language Learners

: a weight used for holding a fishing line or net underwater
baseball : a fast pitch that drops lower as it reaches home plate

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