SUNKEN Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

sunken

adjective

ˈsəŋ-kən

Definition of sunken

as in concave

curved inward our convalescing guest's sunken cheeks soon filled out on a diet of my mother's cooking

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in underwater

living, lying, or occurring below the surface of the water diving for sunken treasure

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sunken The home features three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms with a working fireplace and a sunken garden. — Nora Deligter, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026 The clock was ticking, but Ballard had learned something from the sunken subs. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026 The home features wood floors and a sunken living room anchored by a stone fireplace, and Kislin’s designs are integrated throughout. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026 Dozens of sunken boats and even a World War II-era B-29 that crashed in 1948 have also been uncovered at Lake Mead. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sunken

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sunken

Adjective

The shoes paired with the Dolce & Gabbana dress featured a slender strap across the toes and curved straps around the top of the foot and ankle forming a diamond with concave sides.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
The convex-concave curves of the open and closed parentheses cup something said by the way, whisperings, secrets mouthed into the reader’s ear, mumbled under the author’s breath.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of concave

Adjective

Researchers believe volcanic activity triggered an underwater landslide and caused a large chunk of Anak Krakatau’s southwest slope to collapse and displace a large volume of water.

— Tatan Syuflana, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The government razed or burned its buildings to keep them from becoming underwater hazards in the lake.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of underwater

Adjective

Duckworth also faced backlash from critics who argued that her message was, at best, a series of hollow exhortations to simply try harder and, at worst, an insidious form of victim-blaming that ignored structural inequality.

— Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Well, that promise now rings hollow in the ears of every TSA worker today.

— Hydrick Thomas, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of hollow

Adjective

Researchers examined Lake Michigan water intake systems to monitor aquatic life.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
During my stay, afternoons included everything from salsa lessons and aqua aerobics to aquatic Olympics and, yes, bingo.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of aquatic

Adjective

Quietly depressed, a wife to Reuben (Tracy Letts, Coon’s real-life partner) and mother to Ella (Bella Ramsey) and Jo (Odessa Young), Rita holds a monotonous desk job at a bank by day, and tends to her family by night as part of her humdrum routine.

— Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Sprague conceded Clancy had mental health issues and was depressed.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of depressed

Adjective

But a new antenna technology, borrowed from the physics of medical implants, is rethinking how submarine machines talk to each other – and to us.

— Omar Kardoudi June 06, New Atlas, 6 June 2026
Despite the ongoing retirement of older hulls, the PLAN's submarine force is expected to grow to 65 units by 2025 and 80 units by 2035 due to an expansion of submarine construction capacity.

— Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025

Definition of submarine

Adjective

The submarine can remain submerged and operate at considerable distances from its home port while carrying a larger strike arsenal.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
New Jersey State Police said the boat was near submerged pilings.

— Vanessa Murdock, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of submerged

Browse Nearby Words

sunk

sunken

sunk fence

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Style

“Sunken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sunken. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sunken

adjective

Example Sentences

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