as in dipping
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid
dunking a doughnut in one's morning coffee
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Recent Examples of dunking
Inspect your plants frequently and pick off caterpillars, dunking them in a bucket of soapy water.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
Johansson scores his 200th On a tremendous play by Boldy to fend off Brandon Montour and spin for a backdoor pass, Johansson snapped an eight-game goal drought by slam-dunking his 200th goal.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
On the side, there’s a cup of mushroom stock fortified with soy sauce, molasses, rosemary and a touch of cayenne pepper for dunking.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
San Antonio led by as many as 28 during a dominant first-half performance that featured a highlight-worthy play with Castle dunking off a behind-the-back pass from Wembanyama.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Soon, people are dunking his head into a series of punch bowls.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2026
Heat rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis put on a dunking show during the workout, leaving his coaches and teammates in shock.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
The title song was appropriately fun and frivolous for a movie that, among other things, featured Porky Pig dunking the basketball.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Sarasota retrieved the rebound and finished the game with Greg Dauer dunking as its fans went wild.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
Johansson scores his 200th On a tremendous play by Boldy to fend off Brandon Montour and spin for a backdoor pass, Johansson snapped an eight-game goal drought by slam-dunking his 200th goal.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
On the side, there’s a cup of mushroom stock fortified with soy sauce, molasses, rosemary and a touch of cayenne pepper for dunking.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
San Antonio led by as many as 28 during a dominant first-half performance that featured a highlight-worthy play with Castle dunking off a behind-the-back pass from Wembanyama.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Soon, people are dunking his head into a series of punch bowls.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2026
Heat rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis put on a dunking show during the workout, leaving his coaches and teammates in shock.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
The title song was appropriately fun and frivolous for a movie that, among other things, featured Porky Pig dunking the basketball.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Sarasota retrieved the rebound and finished the game with Greg Dauer dunking as its fans went wild.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dunking
Verb
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The shot of the sun, as it slowly and then completely disappears behind the moon, takes up the top half of the 58-foot-tall screen, while the shot of the Maine landscape, dipping from daylight to mid-day darkness and back again, sits below.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2026
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And, for the record, Wendy's endorses the practice of dipping salty fries into sweet Frostys.—
Bob Vitale,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Best Times to Visit for Good Weather Late spring through the summer is the best time to enjoy warm temperatures, perfect for immersing yourself in the stunning natural splendors of the Pacific Northwest.—
Scott Bay,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
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Frontman Dougy Mandagi relocated first to Berlin, immersing himself in electronic music, before returning to Indonesia.—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dunking. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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