TANKING Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

tanking

verb

present participle of tank

as in flopping

to be unsuccessful her intended comeback movie tanked at the box office, and once again she was relegated to TV guest spots

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tanking Smoke from these blazes is also tanking air quality in parts of the Northwest. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 The Athletics have just two more wins than the Angels and are also tanking. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026 And that’s good, because there is zero indication the new leadership will be tanking, and good reason to think the Dolphins may be ‘over’ the betting over/under of 4 1/2 victories. — Greg Cote july 27, Miami Herald, 27 July 2026 But everything changed after a 1954 Life Magazine article, which argued that literacy rates were tanking because children were bored with Dick and Jane primers. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 11 July 2026 Critics of the network business say the successful production and distribution arm has kept ITV’s share price from tanking over recent years as the TV ad market fell away, though that is just one read of the situation. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 July 2026 The Wizards had the NBA’s worst record during the 2025-26 season and won the final draft lottery before a new system is implemented that dings the three teams with the worst records—part of the league’s efforts to deter tanking. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 23 June 2026 First Up SpaceX’s selloff stretched into a third day Monday, wiping out all of its growth following a record-setting IPO and tanking Elon Musk’s fortune by more than $300 billion. — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 The Orioles, after years of tanking to secure high draft picks, rebuilt around young position players. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanking

Verb

Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
Perez chugged around the bases before belly-flopping into third base with his trademark smile.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026

Definition of flopping

Verb

Scientists have discovered that copper melts gradually rather than collapsing all at once under extreme heat.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Videos posted to social media showed buildings collapsing and panicked residents running and screaming, as dust filled the sky.

— Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of collapsing

Verb

But by the time of his indictment, Lorch was in failing health and found incompetent to stand trial, and lawsuits against him and the church were dismissed due to statute of limitations issues.

— Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Then Dart struggled again on Wednesday, failing to move the ball at all on a couple drives at the end of practice.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of failing

Verb

After ejection, the aircraft unfolds its folding wings and transitions to aerodynamic flight.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
Hanna floated the idea of eventually selling Go Two to a larger company or folding it into a bigger portfolio down the line.

— Kristi Dosh, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of folding

Verb

Similar to Abrams, the young shortstop had shown a knack for exceptional, highlight-reel plays while struggling with consistency.

— Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Flagship carriers including American, Lufthansa, Riyadh Air and Singapore Airlines are all struggling to navigate the lengthy, multi-year approval process for bespoke cabins.

— Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggling

Verb

On Saturday, Iranian authorities alleged for the first time that the pilots had been captured in Qatar, after previously saying one pilot had been killed and three others were missing following their sortie.

— August 17, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Those goals aren’t there this season — missing a month with knee inflammation took him out of the running — but Vitello said there continues to be value in sending Webb to represent the club every fifth day.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of missing

Verb

The government has intensified firefighting efforts across Sumatra and Borneo islands, deploying more than 35 aircraft including water-bombing helicopters and patrol airplanes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
In 2003, Libya formally took responsibility for bombing Pan Am 103.

— Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026

Definition of bombing

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“Tanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanking. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tanking

verb

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