PLUNGING Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

plunging

verb

present participle of plunge

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

surfacing

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

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 Those winds are full of snow and ice, and bring gusts of 150-200 kilometers per hour, plunging temperatures to minus 60 to 80 degrees Celsius (minus 79 to minus 112 Fahrenheit). — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 De Ramon wore an off-the-shoulder sheer gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline that led into a corset bodice. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026 The latest downgrade follows Fitch plunging the district’s bond rating to junk status in the spring. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026 College enrollments are down and tuition revenue has dropped, plunging many universities into the red, despite increasing their prices. — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 After security forces suppressed peaceful protests with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, plunging large parts of the country into conflict. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 Aerohart also lengthens the Aviator's Ember to give users more leverage in plunging the piston. — New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026 The main draw is the Desert Spring hydrotherapy circuit, which involves plunging between multiple hot and cold pools, steam rooms, and saunas. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Pilots have compared landing on the short runway, with either side plunging straight down off the side of a vertical cliff, to landing on an aircraft carrier. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plunging

Verb

Millions of young consumers were suddenly diving into the workings of mechanical watches and horology.

— Robert Frank, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
As happened following the release of another Prime Video romance (Off Campus, IYKYK), fans are already diving into the age gap between the Love Hypothesis leads.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of diving

Verb

People have moved so aggressively along the learning curve that those challenges are falling by the wayside.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Paired with an all-leather ensemble, pants and pointed-toe pumps included, the hair screamed ’80s rom-com star, the curls falling toward her face in a single swift motion.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of falling

Verb

The drive winds through the verdant mountains of eastern Antioquia before descending into the Aburrá Valley, where Medellín stretches across the valley floor and surrounding hillsides.

— Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
The tomb’s entrance passage, with narrowing walls and descending axis, creates a liminal stage to orient the body before entering the burial chamber.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of descending

Verb

Matt Stanley, head of market engagement at Kpler, highlighted Europe’s dilemma and the risks posed by dipping into emergency reserves in an uncertain geopolitical environment.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Voices, voices, voices, chirping, screeching, rising high to a crescendo, dipping low for a moment, then soaring straight up again.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of dipping

Verb

The extreme heat is driven by a persistent high pressure ridge that has parked over the region causing sinking warming air with very little overnight relief.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Its fertility rate fell below replacement level in 2008 and has been sinking since.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of sinking

Verb

The main structures at the front (the spa, gym, studio, and reception) are made of natural stone with bougainvillea tumbling down their sides, set between shallow pools of water, echoing the floating effect of the resort above the mangroves.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Labor market shifts The US trucking industry is shaking off a nearly four-year downturn, a post-pandemic correction marked by tumbling freight rates, carrier bankruptcies, and a high-cost/tepid-volume operating environment.

— Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of tumbling

Verb

Only its convenient foods division in Europe, the Middle East and Africa reported declining volume, of 1%.

— Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Since the 1960s, bowling as a business has fallen, with the number of bowling centers in the United States declining by roughly 75% from a peak of about 12,000 to some 3,000.

— Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

And there is an affordability crisis compounded by persistent inflation, cratering economic data, plummeting consumer confidence, and weak jobs growth.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
Sales of German autos are plummeting in China, but China is also poised to gobble up market share in Europe by undercutting European automakers on price thanks to heavy state subsidies.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026