plunging

verb

present participle of plunge
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

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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 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 And this week, our story about the dwindling water levels in Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, shows breathtaking expanses of dry canyon plunging to a shrinking, narrow ribbon of teal green. — Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026 Flightradar24 data showed the aircraft suddenly plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal, according to Reuters. — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 El Niño threatens soy and corn harvests in the south while plunging savannahs and rainforests into drought and sparking wildfires. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 The 53-year-old model wore a black dress with allover sequins, long sleeves and a plunging neckline with a thigh-high front slit. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 Aries Rising This month’s astrology is plunging you into a bit of a grief process. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026 The Starship spacecraft is now plunging back into the thick inner part of Earth’s atmosphere while still traveling thousands of miles per hour. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 Bank of America sees shares plunging even deeper into the red, particularly as the sneaker maker also struggles to lift sales in China, which is a critical market. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plunging
  1. diving
  2. falling
  3. descending
  4. dipping
  5. sinking
  6. tumbling
  7. declining
  8. plummeting
Verb
  • Millions of young consumers were suddenly diving into the workings of mechanical watches and horology.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Without explicitly diving in, her writing sheds light on today’s Russian corruption and Putin’s endless war with Ukraine, which is ultimately a war against the West.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of diving
Verb
  • McGuire said the country’s murder rate is at a 126-year low and argued that falling fentanyl deaths and drug trafficking are evidence that the administration’s border and law enforcement policies are working.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Applications jumped from roughly 3,500 a year before COVID to a record 18,561 in 2024, before falling nearly 30% last year and continuing to decline in 2026.
    — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of falling
Verb
  • The unrest was followed by sustained opposition to government efforts to house asylum seekers in communities across the country, with some protests also descending into violent clashes.
    — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The FlyDubai flight traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel landed safely after issuing an emergency alert and abruptly descending thousands of feet (meters).
    — Samy Magdy, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • 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
  • Apply the vinegar by spraying it directly onto the surface or by dipping a microfiber cloth into the solution, wringing it out, and wiping the appliance.
    — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dipping
Verb
  • According to Reuters, hopes for new Boeing orders from China were sinking going into the talks.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Even after 40 years, filing a game story on time still feels like sinking a three-pointer at the buzzer.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sinking
Verb
  • Cliffs teeter at 1,640 feet, before tumbling down in a flurry of vineyards and walking trails to the rushing rivers and gorges of Sil and Miño.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But many homeowners locked in low mortgage rates when COVID-19 slammed the economy and sent borrowing costs tumbling; so they are protected if mortgage rates rise in the wake of a Fed raTte hike.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of tumbling
Verb
  • Local officials and school leaders have linked the shortage of family housing to declining enrollment in the Davis Joint Unified School District, which is weighing school closures.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • And the Civilian Oversight Commission filed suit against the department in June for declining to provide certain records related to three cases of use of force the commission issued subpoenas for in February 2025.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of declining
Verb
  • This dynamic sent SaaS stocks plummeting earlier this year, but many have regained some ground (registration required) as reality sets in.
    — Dan Faulkner, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But alas, eventually all involved have to get down to business and actually contend with the plot beats of Hoover’s story, which is when the movie careens off a cliff, plummeting past so-bad-it’s-good and crashing on the rocks of agonizingly dumb.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of plummeting

Browse Nearby Words

plunges (in)
plunging
plunging (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Plunging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plunging. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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