1
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value
his fortunes have steadily sunk since the breakup of his business
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2
as in plunged
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
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3
as in swallowed
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
sinks his pride and makes the first step towards a reconciliation
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4
as in disappeared
to cease to be visible
that evening we sat on the beach, dreamily watching the sun sink beneath the horizon
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5
as in reduced
to diminish the price or value of
the slightest nick will sink the price of a piece of Tiffany glass
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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
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7
as in fallen
to lead or extend downward
the road sinks abruptly after that curve
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8
as in faded
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the old woman only sunk further after she was moved to the nursing home
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sunk
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
The sunk cost fallacy, for example, can lead companies to continue investing in maintaining a physical office space, despite the benefits of remote work.
—Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023
Patrick George, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
There have been multiple games in recent memory where last-second free throws sunk the Huskies.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sunk
Adjective
With Aguirre’s plan, the efforts will become a sunk cost.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
The sunk cost fallacy, for example, can lead companies to continue investing in maintaining a physical office space, despite the benefits of remote work.
—Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023
Verb
Other companies have since sunk billions of dollars into EVs, batteries, and software, all to varying degrees of success.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
There have been multiple games in recent memory where last-second free throws sunk the Huskies.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sunk
Adjective
-
Owner Jason Boso fixed that, infusing $2 million into the 10-year-old bar on better bathrooms, a covered section of the patio and a re-done kitchen.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas News,
3 Apr. 2023
Verb
-
Eventually, her health deteriorated to the point that Ingram left the team to see her back home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Since she was detained, Kordia’s faith has grown immensely, but her physical health has deteriorated, her cousin said.—
Rachel Royster
January 30,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During the height of Iran-Contra, Reagan's approval ratings had plunged.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Considering how far Centennial plunged, a 12-12 record at this point is a real reward for the school, players, parents and fans.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The story follows a scuba diver in search of his deceased father’s remains who gets swallowed by an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
-
With tech earnings season kicking into high gear next week, Wall Street will start to get a clearer picture of where particular companies stand in adopting AI or getting swallowed by it.—
Seema Mody,
CNBC,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Two years later, her older sister, Annette Cole, also disappeared.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
On July 2, 1937 Earhart was at the controls of a twin-engine Lockheed Electra 10E aircraft, with Fred Noonan serving as navigator, when the plane disappeared.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Disney reduced its outlay by selling regional sports networks and other assets, but the deal left the company with significant debt just before COVID-19 hit.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
By designing the computing architecture differently, the company reduced that down to 17 in its first-generation R1 vehicles and then to seven in the second generation.—
Robert Ferris,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Days after the segment was recorded, Schmitz shot Amedure to death, then confessed to the murder, saying he'd been humiliated on national TV.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
-
During the flight, she’s thoroughly humiliated when someone finds her audition tape for Survivor and displays it on his laptop for all to enjoy.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For over two decades, efforts to lift the Oakland Police Department out from under the watchful eye of a federal judge have fallen short.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Now that the Butler plan has fallen apart with his torn ACL, this is the kind of dream opportunity that can salvage their spiraling situation.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sunk. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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