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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Recent Examples of tanking
Frank has said that the Clippers would not be a tanking team.
—
Law Murray, New York Times, 11 May 2026
With the league set to adjust the Draft Lottery to address Adam Silver’s tanking concerns, the Wizards picked the perfect time to bottom out.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Three to 10 years of tanking or relentless losing helped Charlotte, Toronto, Detroit, Philadelphia and Cleveland at least get further than the Heat this season (for the Hornets, only a smidgen further).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Trust between employers and employees is tanking.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Load management, like tanking, isn’t the Heat Way.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Law Murray, New York Times, 11 May 2026
With the league set to adjust the Draft Lottery to address Adam Silver’s tanking concerns, the Wizards picked the perfect time to bottom out.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Three to 10 years of tanking or relentless losing helped Charlotte, Toronto, Detroit, Philadelphia and Cleveland at least get further than the Heat this season (for the Hornets, only a smidgen further).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Trust between employers and employees is tanking.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Load management, like tanking, isn’t the Heat Way.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanking
Verb
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Trimming by half will keep the foliage from completely flopping over and retaining too much moisture around the crown.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
9 May 2026
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Much of the discussion following the game is about flopping and supposed favorable whistles for the Thunder.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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There have been 22 reports of the stools collapsing, with six injuries, including bruising and scrapes.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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Cuba’s economy, which has been in a steep decline for several years, has hit rock bottom, and the population has been enduring shortages, blackouts and the effects of collapsing infrastructure.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The president pressed Nigeria last fall to take more action against terrorism, accusing the country of failing to deal with rampant violence against Christians.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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This should be the toughest reservation in town, because the chef Anastasia Dewi Tjahjadi cooks only one day a week (Selasa, or Tuesday) and there are just two folding tables and four stools, wedged between shelves at the back of a slim Indonesian grocery on Queens Boulevard.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Science fiction has conditioned many people to imagine humanoid robots folding laundry, washing dishes, and becoming household companions.—
Dr. Jonathan Reichental,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Many libraries’ orders went unfulfilled, and all but the largest ones were left struggling to get popular titles to their patrons.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Across Oahu’s North Shore, an area famed for its big-wave surfing, the small farms that help supply the island’s food are struggling after back-to-back storms in March brought the state’s worst flooding in two decades.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Is an important event missing from this date?—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
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You could be forgiven for missing the name.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Well this immigrant grandma never murdered 180 schoolgirls in Iran by bombing them to pieces.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
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This can and should be done without bombing the plant.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanking. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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