Definition of tankednext
slang

tanked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tank

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 tanked
Adjective
Because sales of home media almost completely tanked while streaming services were ascendant, many manufacturers of stand-alone players exited the market. Matt Kamen, Wired News, 29 May 2026 The protests began last week with economic grievances as the Iranian currency, the rial, tanked. Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026 CrowdStrike’s stock price predictably tanked after the July 19 outage disrupted various services across the nation, from flights to court dates to hospital appointments. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2024
Verb
He and Fox both got hurt in the same January game, and those injuries tanked any chances the Rangers had of securing a postseason spot. Peter Baugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Biohaven — The biopharmaceutical company's stock tanked 16% after the Food and Drug Administration imposed a partial clinical hold on an experimental epilepsy treatment, over a potential safety concern that emerged during rodent testing. Michelle Fox,darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 Teams have tanked for decades—the controversy has been a part of basketball discourse since at least 1984, when the Houston Rockets were accused of throwing their season to improve their shot at drafting the great center Hakeem Olajuwon. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026 Eight months later, the White House’s deal with Maduro’s former vice president risks entrenching the people and policies that tanked the country’s economy in the first place. Editorial Board, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2026 As VideoCardz reports, one user ran it on an RTX 3080 in Deep Rock Galactic and found their performance tanked from around 130 frames per second to just 4fps. Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026 That’s as test scores in math and reading tanked after schools ditched textbooks in favor of screens. Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 The bet is that if choice is what tanked Killian’s enrollment, then maybe choice will reverse the trend. Austin Horn august 29, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 My colleague Paul Egan attended the Michigan GOP convention last Saturday, where there was little mention of the president, whose approval rating has tanked. Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanked
Adjective
  • The two meet cute at a deeply awful Toronto nightclub; Emma is trying to feel young and free, while Raiff’s character, an old soul in a twenty-something body, is taken by the somewhat older woman who is much more fun than his drunk buddies.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
  • This is a very large question for such a small and humble (and drunk and comedic) literary advice column.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Reigns flopped into the corner and waited for the right moment to strike with a spear.
    Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In this year’s mayoral primary, Raman raised less money than Bass and Pratt and flopped during their one debate against each other.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In true postmodern fashion, Fitzgerald gets a brief, drunken cameo, meeting Jack on an ocean liner.
    Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The book had its share of wild parties, conspicuous consumption and drunken abandon.
    Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The machinery that collapsed was a drill rig, which was boring holes for the pilings to support the weight of the supertall skyscraper that will go up on the site.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The trip puts him back on the European stage as relations with Washington reel from tariffs, threats and personal attacks since trade talks collapsed.
    Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • And varieties run the gamut, from steamed to pan-fried and broth-filled.
    Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The popular food truck serves serves up a simple but well-executed menu that includes a hamburger, fish sandwich, chicken sandwich, and their famous shrimp burger—a 1/4 pound of fried shrimp on a brioche bun with all the fixings.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Cowboys’ roster revamp failed miserably in its debut against Tulsa.
    Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The explosion was ultimately blamed on an O-ring that failed in one the shuttle’s solid rocket boosters, allowing a flame to pierce the external fuel tank.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • That’s where cognition becomes impaired, muscle contraction becomes impaired, and metabolism actually slows.
    Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Overdosing on the drug can cause extreme drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, decreased reflexes, respiratory depression, coma and possible death.
    Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Raj’s time with the circuit was cut short; the domestic teams ultimately folded as the league transformed into NFL Europe, but by then, the kids had caught the bug.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The museum could clip the tapestry to a rail, then feed it into the paravent inch by inch; when the whole thing was transferred, the huge zigzag could be folded up—with the tapestry secured between layers of padding—then turned on its side.
    John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanked. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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