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

The tall foliage of bearded iris (Iris germanica) begins flopping early in the growing season.

— Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 22 Sep. 2026
The fish looks straight at me, flopping sluggishly from side to side.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of flopping

Verb

With the Bears trailing the Steelers 17-14 in the fourth quarter, Ditka caught a short pass and broke eight tackles before collapsing to the turf after a 63-yard gain that set up the tying field goal.

— Ira Kaufman, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Merging with a magnetar All neutron stars are created the same way from the collapsing core of a massive star, but not all neutron stars are equal.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of collapsing

Verb

By merging the two failing car companies, Marchionne created the seventh-largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, increasing Fiat’s value more than tenfold.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
According to RadarOnline, the King was left worried after failing to connect with his longtime friend Sir Ranulph Fiennes, an explorer who’s withdrawn from the spotlight amid his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of failing

Verb

Its richer-blue-gradient dial and updated double-folding clasp further refined the formula.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
The vendors spread their wares—the fake Louis Vuitton bags, Rolex watches, Gucci wallets, and Prada sunglasses—across blankets and folding tables.

— Daniel Edward Rosen, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of folding

Verb

Mitchell-Namdar said Pink Aid’s mission is to provide emergency aid assistance to those struggling during treatment, whether that means paying an electric bill, rent, offering wigs or lymphedema sleeves.

— Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Many mid- and late-career working-class comics who would normally build the bridge to younger generations are struggling to make a living.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggling

Verb

Sacramento County sheriff’s officials on Friday asked the public to help find a missing woman who was last seen more than a week ago and is considered at risk.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
The bottles were being prepped for a shipment abroad, and employees only found the wine was missing upon their arrival on Monday morning, according to the publication.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of missing

Verb

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
Ukraine has been systematically bombing some of those refineries, severely curtailing the global supply of diesel fuel.

— Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 22 Sep. 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 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tanking

verb

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