1
as in deteriorating
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 plunging
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 stifling
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
sinks his pride and makes the first step towards a reconciliation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in vanishing
to cease to be visible
that evening we sat on the beach, dreamily watching the sun sink beneath the horizon
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in reducing
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 humiliating
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in falling
to lead or extend downward
the road sinks abruptly after that curve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in weakening
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
as in fading
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sinking
Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
The ship is so famous because its sinking was disastrous, but not tragic – Shackleton guided all 27 crew members to safety and was able to slowly remove cargo, supplies and boats before the vessel sank.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Shackleton blamed the sinking of the Endurance on the destruction of its rudder; for more than a century, historians accepted this explanation.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
Because the attack came at the end of the war, and the U-boat had not received orders of any surrender, the sinking of the Eagle was reported as an engineering and boiler failure rather than an escalatory attack from a foreign adversary.
—Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
For the fortieth anniversary of the sinking in 2015, bassist Rick Haynes and Lightfoot flew from a concert in Utica, New York, on their only day off from their tour, to the Upper Peninsula, then drove to Whitefish Point for an event — and not to play, just to be there with the families.
—John U. Bacon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
At the time of the sinking, the king was on land for a political summit to unite the Nordic region.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Starting for the first time in three weeks and for the first time in left field in nearly two months, Johnson laid out to catch a sinking, tailing line drive by Christian Yelich for the first out of the ninth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Webb threw his sinking, two-seam fastball just eight times.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Kayti Burt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Among the greatest dangers faced in coastal marshes is sinking.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2025
Fourteen Democrats voted for the measure, but McConnell and two other Republicans, Bob Bennett of Utah and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, voted no, essentially sinking the effort.
—Frederic J. Frommer, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
The sound of the big ship sinking.
—Jon Landau, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
The sinking action drives the return flow of cold, salty water southward, completing the circulation’s loop.
—Alexandra A Phillips, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
Because the planet rotates very fast, these rising and sinking currents get twisted and stretched into horizontal flows, AKA jet streams.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
White was especially aggressive hunting his shot, taking eight 3-pointers before halftime despite sinking only one of those attempts.
—Jay King, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Dams that normally supply 70 percent of the city’s water have been depleted, while reliance on groundwater has accelerated land subsidence, with some areas sinking by up to 30 cm per year.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The most common cause is underwater earthquakes that force the seafloor to move vertically, either rising or sinking, which displaces massive volumes of water.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
The ship is so famous because its sinking was disastrous, but not tragic – Shackleton guided all 27 crew members to safety and was able to slowly remove cargo, supplies and boats before the vessel sank.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Shackleton blamed the sinking of the Endurance on the destruction of its rudder; for more than a century, historians accepted this explanation.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
Because the attack came at the end of the war, and the U-boat had not received orders of any surrender, the sinking of the Eagle was reported as an engineering and boiler failure rather than an escalatory attack from a foreign adversary.
—Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
For the fortieth anniversary of the sinking in 2015, bassist Rick Haynes and Lightfoot flew from a concert in Utica, New York, on their only day off from their tour, to the Upper Peninsula, then drove to Whitefish Point for an event — and not to play, just to be there with the families.
—John U. Bacon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
At the time of the sinking, the king was on land for a political summit to unite the Nordic region.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Starting for the first time in three weeks and for the first time in left field in nearly two months, Johnson laid out to catch a sinking, tailing line drive by Christian Yelich for the first out of the ninth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Webb threw his sinking, two-seam fastball just eight times.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
When the situation starts to look futile, the politicians begin fleeing the airport like rats on a sinking ship, not wanting to be the one left holding the bag.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Among the greatest dangers faced in coastal marshes is sinking.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2025
Fourteen Democrats voted for the measure, but McConnell and two other Republicans, Bob Bennett of Utah and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, voted no, essentially sinking the effort.
—Frederic J. Frommer, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
The sound of the big ship sinking.
—Jon Landau, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
The sinking action drives the return flow of cold, salty water southward, completing the circulation’s loop.
—Alexandra A Phillips, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
Because the planet rotates very fast, these rising and sinking currents get twisted and stretched into horizontal flows, AKA jet streams.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
White was especially aggressive hunting his shot, taking eight 3-pointers before halftime despite sinking only one of those attempts.
—Jay King, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Dams that normally supply 70 percent of the city’s water have been depleted, while reliance on groundwater has accelerated land subsidence, with some areas sinking by up to 30 cm per year.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinking
Verb
-
Nandi is experiencing severe insomnia, tremors and psychosis, and her quickly deteriorating condition bewilders the emergency room staff.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
-
An inspection also calls attention safety issues that require repairs, like cracks, a deteriorating liner, or problems with the flue or chimney cap.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The floor-length gown featured a plunging v-neck that didn't leave much to the imagination, as well as a thigh-high slit that gave the musician the chance to show off her legs — and her strappy black Giuseppe Zanotti heels.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The overall look was softened with French lace detailing at the plunging neckline and skirt of the dress.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of letting the quality or design speak for itself, brands relied heavily on their own logos or experiences, stifling their innovation in the process.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Advancing not stifling creativity Kakul Srivastava, CEO of music-sample marketplace Splice, delivered the next toast, which honored human creativity and emphasized the importance of technology that enables rather than restricts it.—
Zoe Corbyn,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Large vanishing glass walls unite the indoors with the outdoors.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The legend began after a series of bizarre and terrifying encounters in which settlers reported seeing the ghostly figure charging through the desert, sometimes trampling livestock or vanishing into the night.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The government’s lawyers argued the ruling effectively guts a statute aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing unlawful drug users from wielding firearms.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The firm’s post-weave colorization system preserves the authentic look, feel, and durability of conventional denim while drastically reducing environmental impact.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This announcement, humiliating the involved member, is harmful.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This just makes the upcoming six-game homestand critical for the Wild in not falling too far behind in the Western Conference.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
After the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time since December 2024 last month, experts projected that rates would continue falling—even if ever so slightly.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to researcher and photographer Roberto García-Roa, the vibrant pigments that butterflies once relied on to attract mates and hide from prey are now fading away as colorful tropical forests are replaced with monochrome infrastructure.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The traditional distinctions between linear and streaming are fading away for sports, however.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinking. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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