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

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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 A lot of teams at the bottom might be tanking for Arch Manning, and there is no real new blood at quarterback this season. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 During the 1996–97 season, for example, the Boston Celtics went 15–67 and effectively admitted to tanking for the right to draft Tim Duncan. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026 Data centers are becoming the political flash point of the midterms as candidates race to respond to tanking public opinion. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 However, some traders appeared unconvinced by the company’s plans, with its stock tanking almost 10% in trading on Monday, its steepest single-day drop in more than a year. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 24 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanking

Verb

Because the flopping infraction carries no suspension, George remains fully cleared to suit up Friday when Boston hosts his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
The tall foliage of bearded iris (Iris germanica) begins flopping early in the growing season.

— Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of flopping

Verb

Musk did not understand that in India, as in much of the world, trust in America is collapsing.

— Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Pushing the ball in transition, George made contact with Detroit guard Duncan Robinson before dramatically collapsing to the floor in an Oscar-worthy attempt to bait a whistle.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of collapsing

Verb

Members overwhelmingly voted to authorize the strike earlier this month, accusing the state of failing to bargain in good faith after their contract expired in June.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
In his first year in office, he was called out by reporters for failing to hold regular press briefings.

— Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of failing

Verb

In an era where architectural images spread rapidly through social media, this building, resembling a white folding fan, undoubtedly has the potential to become a popular landmark.

— Wendy Wang, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026
As petrified parents filed into the warehouse-like church nestled in a strip mall and took seats on folding chairs, Michelle noticed a woman near the front, sitting alone.

— Taylor Galgano, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of folding

Verb

The school has implemented programs to help struggling students close achievement gaps and introduced the Hadley Literacy Plan to improve writing schoolwide.

— Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Fashion’s nature risks and dependencies are wide-reaching, from cotton harvests ravaged by drought and leather supply chains riddled with deforestation, to manufacturing hubs struggling with water scarcity and retail networks affected by flooding.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggling

Verb

What was missing was the physical reorganization of factories.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
His raspy voice, his beard, his missing finger and the cadence of his speech have been fixtures of Brazilian public life since Brazil’s first direct presidential election after the dictatorship ended in 1985.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of missing

Verb

Russia has been bombing Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, forcing Ukraine to rely increasingly on river ports on the Danube and shipping routes close to the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania.

— Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
The United States began bombing Iran on February 28 with the goal of destroying the country’s nuclear program, its missile program, and even its government, only to fail spectacularly at each objective.

— Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of bombing

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tankers

tanking

tanks

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“Tanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanking. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tanking

verb

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