variants
or sunk
1
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value
his fortunes have steadily sunk since the breakup of his business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fell
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
I had just bought a bundle of shares of the stock when its price sank like a rock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stifled
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
sinks his pride and makes the first step towards a reconciliation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in disappeared
to cease to be visible
that evening we sat on the beach, dreamily watching the sun sink beneath the horizon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in reduced
to diminish the price or value of
the slightest nick will sink the price of a piece of Tiffany glass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in humiliated
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the revelation that he has been embezzling for years definitely sinks him in my opinion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in plunged
to lead or extend downward
the road sinks abruptly after that curve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in faded
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the old woman only sunk further after she was moved to the nursing home
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 sank
The study said the debris could have come from a foreign ship that sank—given the lack of information from the Russian side, who could say?
—
Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
As revenue sank, the economy collapsed amid soaring inflation.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
And the Conference Board’s latest survey revealed that consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since April in November, as assessments of both the business and labor markets sank, and the Expectations Index dropped further below the threshold that signals an upcoming recession.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Again, on the heels of September’s rate, short-term Treasury yields sank, but the 10-year yield soared back to its highest point in nearly a fortnight.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
But after spending nearly three decades sitting dormant in Philadelphia, the ship was sold to Okaloosa County in Florida, to be sunk and turned into an artificial reef.
—Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
As revenue sank, the economy collapsed amid soaring inflation.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
And the Conference Board’s latest survey revealed that consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since April in November, as assessments of both the business and labor markets sank, and the Expectations Index dropped further below the threshold that signals an upcoming recession.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Again, on the heels of September’s rate, short-term Treasury yields sank, but the 10-year yield soared back to its highest point in nearly a fortnight.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
But after spending nearly three decades sitting dormant in Philadelphia, the ship was sold to Okaloosa County in Florida, to be sunk and turned into an artificial reef.
—Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sank
Verb
-
Some claimed that her mental health had deteriorated.—
Anika Burgess,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The move to change the clock came after relations between the United States and Canada deteriorated.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Apartment buildings were felled by air strikes, and smoke billowed from the blasts; the buzz of Israeli drones filled the air.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Too many people, particularly those in my age group, have been felled by a cold that morphed into pneumonia, or a UTI that landed them in the hospital, or a simple stumble on a floor mat that resulted in surgery and months of physical therapy.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Texans were stifled all night, turning the ball over 26 times.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But the surging inflation, lack of a large base of consumers with high disposable incomes, and low broadband access that have challenged other African streaming services have stifled Showmax’s ambitions.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mumma, 44, is charged with tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Gratton, a 34-year-old transgender woman from Denver who disappeared in April and was found dead in a Lakewood alley in June.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
12 Mar. 2026
-
But others in Paine — where 70 people were forcibly disappeared under the Pinochet dictatorship, more than in any other municipality in Chile — are less optimistic about the rise to power of a supporter of the regime.—
John Bartlett,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Halsey said the women’s identities were reduced to billboard images during the investigation of their deaths.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Second, the swift realignment of NASA Goddard’s priorities with the President’s budget request for the 2026 fiscal year — a realignment that occurred when the budget was still only a request — reduced the availability of mission formulation and mission engineering personnel to work on AXIS.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At one point in his teenage years, Diaz was publicly humiliated by the football team who forcefully shaved his curly hair.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Stocks plunged, and the price of oil spiked by fifteen per cent, as Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
After a fifth year of extreme drought, water levels in Tehran’s five reservoirs plunged to some 10% of their capacity, prompting President Masoud Pezeshkian to warn the capital may have to be evacuated.—
Annika Hammerschlag,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The legal battle faded to the background.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Synchronized blinking faded when the researchers sped up the Bach chorales to 120 beats per minute.—
Jesse Greenspan,
Scientific American,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sank. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
