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
Adebayo shot 36 of 43 free throws against the tanking Wizards, prompting Lakers fans and observers to question whether the record felt earned.
—
Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
No one can accuse Devin Carter of tanking.
—March 10, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
The Warriors rallied from down 11 in the second half, and benefited from the tanking Jazz not playing Keyonte George late in the game.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
This inclination means Karnišovas outright refuses to direct coach Billy Donovan to take any tanking measures, despite clearing the way for this strategy at the trade deadline.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Then a pair of requisite wins against the tanking Brooklyn Nets.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Only four of them have come against tanking teams.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Grant Shaw, co-founder of The Range at Austin, says his business partner Alessandro Bosco and others are intentionally tanking the enterprise to buy it back cheap, minus debts and investors.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
The other five do not, with four of them possibly leaning toward tanking this season.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
No one can accuse Devin Carter of tanking.
—March 10, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
The Warriors rallied from down 11 in the second half, and benefited from the tanking Jazz not playing Keyonte George late in the game.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
This inclination means Karnišovas outright refuses to direct coach Billy Donovan to take any tanking measures, despite clearing the way for this strategy at the trade deadline.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Then a pair of requisite wins against the tanking Brooklyn Nets.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Only four of them have come against tanking teams.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Grant Shaw, co-founder of The Range at Austin, says his business partner Alessandro Bosco and others are intentionally tanking the enterprise to buy it back cheap, minus debts and investors.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
The other five do not, with four of them possibly leaning toward tanking this season.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanking
Verb
-
Both teams … the Heat and the Wizards … conspired with their flopping and intentional fouling to get him to 83.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Shawkat, with her warm, amused eyes and her mop of curls, is a perfect carrier for Mae’s air of abjection, flopping around her bed like a horny, gloomy Raggedy Ann.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pipe was being used as a retaining structure to keep the surrounding soil from collapsing during the operation, officials said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The global leader in oilfield services trading as if energy demand were collapsing, despite one of the most volatile oil supply environments in decades.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Funds approved for retaining wall work Little Rock officials are moving ahead with a project to remove and replace a failing stone retaining wall on the north side of City Hall.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Ducks improved to 8-0 in shootouts this season despite going just two for six against Montreal, with even Mason McTavish failing to score for the first time in six tries this season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of struggling to get your cane from the overhead bin or waiting for a flight attendant to get it from a plane closet for you, consider this folding cane that can fit under the seat in front of you.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Grandparents sat in folding chairs.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No workers for mundane tasks Diez revealed that manufacturers worldwide are struggling to find laborers for highly repetitive physical tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Dogs generally aren’t allowed on cruises, but after struggling to find a flight that would allow pets in the cabin, Morris decided to bring Monty across the pond in the storied ocean liner’s kennels – one of the only ways cruise travelers' furry friends can sail the high seas.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Cecil County Sheriff's Office is searching for the person responsible for speeding by a school bus on the right-hand side, narrowly missing two children who were getting on.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The youthful sounds of laughter and enthusiastic conversation were missing.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Israel has also been relentlessly bombing Lebanon, with the intention of disarming or wiping out Hezbollah, a paramilitary group backed by Iran which fired rockets at Israel earlier in the war.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The gatherings came in the wake of the United States and Israel launching a joint war against Iran at the end of last month, bombing several sites and killing high-ranking officials in the country’s government, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanking. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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