1
as in diving
to cast oneself head first into deep water
she took a deep breath and plunged from the side of the pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in falling
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
prices for those televisions have really plunged since they were first introduced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in descending
to lead or extend downward
a stairway plunging into darkness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of plunging
Continue reading … HIKING HORROR — Woman dies after plunging from 60-foot cliff at popular national park.
—
FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This winter, the New York metro area also endured one of its longest stretches of extreme cold in eight to 10 years, with wind chills plunging below zero and prompting warnings for frostbite and hypothermia risk, according to meteorologists and NWS alerts.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The plunging Armani Privé gown Zendaya wore to the movie’s Rome premiere has made several high-profile appearances before, most recently at last year’s Venice Film Festival.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Multiple Oakland hotels, office buildings and apartment hubs have been jolted by loan defaults and plunging values over the last few years.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
The peace talks -- which Iranian officials denied -- sent the price of oil plunging on Monday on hopes that negotiations could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end a weeks-long global energy shock.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, oil prices are plunging.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Illuminated against Austin’s panoramic skyline at Auditorium Shores, Christina Aguilera greeted the Sips & Sounds spectators in a plunging red latex bodysuit, matching elbow gloves and thigh-high black boots.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
That struggle hit a breaking point on March 16 with the collapse of Cuba's national electric grid, plunging 10 million people into darkness amid the oil blockade that has worsened the island's already outdated generation system.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
This winter, the New York metro area also endured one of its longest stretches of extreme cold in eight to 10 years, with wind chills plunging below zero and prompting warnings for frostbite and hypothermia risk, according to meteorologists and NWS alerts.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The plunging Armani Privé gown Zendaya wore to the movie’s Rome premiere has made several high-profile appearances before, most recently at last year’s Venice Film Festival.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Multiple Oakland hotels, office buildings and apartment hubs have been jolted by loan defaults and plunging values over the last few years.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
The peace talks -- which Iranian officials denied -- sent the price of oil plunging on Monday on hopes that negotiations could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end a weeks-long global energy shock.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, oil prices are plunging.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Illuminated against Austin’s panoramic skyline at Auditorium Shores, Christina Aguilera greeted the Sips & Sounds spectators in a plunging red latex bodysuit, matching elbow gloves and thigh-high black boots.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
That struggle hit a breaking point on March 16 with the collapse of Cuba's national electric grid, plunging 10 million people into darkness amid the oil blockade that has worsened the island's already outdated generation system.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plunging
Verb
-
McBride followed, diving onto Dort in an effort to secure possession.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The students must learn more than just diving under ice that's nearly a meter (around three feet) thick and into water temperatures that hover just above freezing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That took share from price as sellers’ top concern, falling from nearly half of agents ranking it first to 39%.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Video from the rescue shows the helicopter descending near the Seneca River and then hovering over the water, where the dog is struggling to keep its head above the surface.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But then, suddenly, a silhouette appears, quickly descending those stairs.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The figures, which are based on more than 500,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACD’s data, indicate that global tonnages were relatively stable compared with the previous week, with capacity dipping 1 percent.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
More Americans are also dipping into retirement savings to prop up their spending, the report showed.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The armored one skirts stems, mushrooms, and sleeping crickets before sinking her mandibles into the fallen leaf of a hydrangea.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Temperatures are expected to rise to 60 degrees before noon before sinking to 43 degrees for the rest of the day.—
Caden Perry,
jsonline.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Adell had just stolen a home run, tumbling over the waist-high wall near the right-field foul pole, which frames the left side of the photo.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Derek Hill singled and scored on Meidroth's double, a liner to left that landed in front of a tumbling Ward.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
European luxury is entering a high-stakes first-quarter reporting period as sentiment has taken a decisive hit, just as many of the sector's big names were nearing a turning point after years of declining sales.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Royal Navy has shrunk dramatically since the Cold War ended, with combat-ready ships declining from 166 in 1975 to 66 in 2025, following decades of military spending cuts.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The tech giant Oracle is expected to lay off thousands of employees as the company, formerly headquartered in Silicon Valley, attempts to address its plummeting stock price tied to artificial intelligence commitments, according to CNBC.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The app, which was announced to much fanfare late last year, has struggled to retain users, with downloads plummeting.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plunging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plunging. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
