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
Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 19 Jan. 2026
With Aguirre’s plan, the efforts will become a sunk cost.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
But as the Dodgers fell to the Astros 2-1, the offense sunk back into a slump.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sunk
Adjective
The two aircraft lost at sea totaled more than $90 million of sunk equipment.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 19 Jan. 2026
With Aguirre’s plan, the efforts will become a sunk cost.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
New data from the Commonwealth Fund shows how low Texas healthcare has sunk below national averages on multiple measures.
—Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026
But as the Dodgers fell to the Astros 2-1, the offense sunk back into a slump.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sunk
Verb
-
The leaders best positioned through each of these disruptions were not the ones calling us when the situation deteriorated, but those who had already built their structure during the quiet years.—
Dwayne Chauhan,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Over the course of the next hour, the weather deteriorated rapidly.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The stock has plunged 54% from that time to May 15.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
17 May 2026
-
Brent crude plunged nearly 11%.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Then Doris and her family are sent off on the train, swallowed whole by the Holocaust.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Even the celebrity CEOs building our AI future have been swallowed by forces bigger than themselves.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
After it was announced in 2019 that the project’s release date had been moved to 2021, Sherlock Holmes 3 disappeared from the studio’s slate.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
-
The 12-year search for answers has concluded for the family of Trukita Scott, a mother of two who suddenly disappeared in 2014.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Bayard has a point in critiquing the attitude which maintains that engagement with literature can basically be reduced to an itinerary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
The stadium typically operates at a capacity crowd of around 67,500 for NFL games, but that will be slightly reduced to approximately 65,827 for the World Cup.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
You can be humiliated, and won’t that be awful?—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Those who don’t get the job leave diminished, sometimes humiliated, and the institution absorbs the damage quietly for years.—
Paul Hardart,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Shares in Autodesk, which mainly serves industries like construction and architecture, have fallen by almost 20%.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
By 10 May, seven others had fallen ill.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
While Ingram faded, Barnes shone in the playoffs.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
That one afternoon’s momentary shame soon faded, but the belief that to be sick is a personal failure has much broader consequences.—
Tom Levenson,
Time,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sunk. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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