tanked 1 of 2

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
The protests began last week with economic grievances as the Iranian currency, the rial, tanked. Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026 Some of the frustration is also economic: His ever-shifting tariffs have raised expectations of a recession and tanked consumer confidence. Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 1 May 2025 Casablanca was based on a play that instantly tanked. Peter Bart, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025 As stocks tanked following news of President Trump’s new tariffs, Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helu got billions richer. Gigi Zamora, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 The Supreme Court’s early indications boosted the shares of companies behind rival platforms, but shares of Oracle, which hosts U.S. TikTok data, tanked 5% Friday. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 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 Watch on Netflix Mank An intricate study of a cinematic masterpiece or two hours and 11 minutes of Gary Oldman lying around and getting tanked in bed? Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
Verb
While The Papal Foundation contributions to the Vatican remained strong during Pope Francis’ 12-year pontificate, other donations to the Holy See tanked during the global financial crisis, COVID-19 and other strains. Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 2 May 2026 Then he was dogged by rumors that his Netflix road-trip docuseries with former One Direction mate Louis Tomlinson went belly-up because the two got into a verbal and then physical argument that tanked the show. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 May 2026 Roblox — Shares of the online gaming platform tanked more than 23%. Davis Giangiulio,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 1 May 2026 After all, the 2013 documentary Blackfish tanked SeaWorld for years in the wake of that film showing the bleak conditions facing captive orcas. Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026 Inflation soared and currencies tanked. Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026 Perhaps the most obvious theme of the Wizards’ season has been just how effectively the team has tanked. Josh Robbins, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Earlier this year, Anthropic tanked the stock market when traders woke up and realized the company’s tools could eat entire industries for breakfast. Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026 When Cross-Goldenberg asked if the speedy trial violation that tanked the state case had to do with a reluctant witness, Reid said the case was hampered by a problem with the discovery process, since state prosecutors didn’t hand over material to the defense in a timely fashion. John Annese, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanked
Adjective
  • That's when prosecutor Greg Greer says law enforcement tracked his phone to Humboldt County, in northern California, where Rickman turned up drunk at a relative's house.
    Paul LaRosa, CBS News, 3 May 2026
  • One woman, apparently drunk, ran into the sea and promptly collapsed.
    Robin Romm, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Under Cook, the company has become less surprising but massively financially successful; some of Apple’s newer products have flopped or underperformed, but far more have become and stayed excellent thanks to years of competent iteration.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Cuomo’s podcast and mayoral bid flopped.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Neighbors said the drunken Queens man who broke into his estranged wife’s home and set off a gas explosion seemed like anything but a ticking time bomb.
    Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
  • No festivals, no Lilith Fairs — not even a random dive bar on a drunken night out in the ’90s.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • His 69-year-old wife was transferred to South Africa at the same time but collapsed at a Johannesburg airport and died at a nearby hospital, the South African Department of Health said.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
  • His wife later collapsed and died at Johannesburg’s international airport while attempting to return home.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
Adjective
  • Contestants from all across the nation will face rigorous tests that mirror the real-life journey of a comedian — from brutal open mics to bombed sets, rewrites and the pressure of big-stage performances.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The comeback attempt eventually failed, though.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
  • Bores, presumably, had already failed as well.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • Most of the fish is grilled, but there are some fried and raw dishes.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
  • The Best Fish to Fry Most restaurants serving fried fish often opt for haddock or Alaskan cod.
    Jack Hennessy, Outdoor Life, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • On the table beside him sat the morning edition of the Orlando Sentinel, folded neatly the way only longtime newspaper readers fold a newspaper.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2026
  • Punishments included withholding food from inmates or forcing them to sit with their arms folded while they were beaten and kicked.
    Raquel Rutledge, ProPublica, 5 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanked. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster