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 There has been chatter about teams tanking to avoid being elevated to the Open Division. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026 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

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

In a recent letter, the two leaders criticized the EPA for failing to oversee the generators and called for the group to regulate generator emissions.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026
That’s because in countless ways and for decades, New York has been struggling, and largely failing, to grapple with the housing crisis.

— Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of failing

Verb

Ralf Schützhold, a professor at theoretical physics at HZDR, therefore suggests making such a bandgap through other means, such as cutting and folding the graphene to create tiny edges.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
That includes making your bed, folding clothes, even pulling on a sweatshirt, where your nails are at risk of getting caught and pulling.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of folding

Verb

Tage Thompson had three goals and two assists, Zach Benson added a goal and two assists, and the Buffalo Sabres scored six consecutive goals during a 7-6 victory over the struggling Ducks on Thursday night.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Even today, with United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin struggling to bring their large Vulcan and New Glenn rockets into service, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets have become a single-point failure for national security launches.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggling

Verb

Nearly a year after Christina Downer was reported missing in Los Angeles, police arrested her boyfriend, actor Delorean Bijon Brandon, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski on suspicion of murder.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
The groom, who is close enough in age to feel more like a cousin, sends them on a quick errand that turns into a string of misadventures, leaving the trio at risk of missing the wedding altogether.

— Essie Assibu, Variety, 30 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 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of tanking

verb

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