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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
This franchise desperately needs elite talent, and the best chance of securing that is by tanking for as high a draft pick as possible.
—
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
If these shows were tanking, why care about cancellations?
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
When has tanking for draft picks ever benefitted a successful NFL franchise?
—Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025
Like, please keep tanking your game in front of the jury.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
Despite having one of the ten best championship odds at the start of the season, the Clippers are stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference, bedfellows with tanking teams like New Orleans and Utah.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025
Amid escalating interest rates, collapsing land values, and tanking commodity prices, not to mention growing competition from Brazil and Argentina, the development of additional markets became critical.
—Time, 3 Dec. 2025
Last week, the president said Bessent was holding him back from firing the Fed chair, a move that’s both legally dubious and would risk tanking financial markets.
—Elliott Davis, The Hill, 26 Nov. 2025
The Roberts court, unusually obsessed with the Supreme Court’s public reputation and appearance of political interference, might consider such a ruling a way to balance limiting executive power without tanking the broader economy.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
If these shows were tanking, why care about cancellations?
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
When has tanking for draft picks ever benefitted a successful NFL franchise?
—Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025
Like, please keep tanking your game in front of the jury.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
Despite having one of the ten best championship odds at the start of the season, the Clippers are stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference, bedfellows with tanking teams like New Orleans and Utah.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025
Amid escalating interest rates, collapsing land values, and tanking commodity prices, not to mention growing competition from Brazil and Argentina, the development of additional markets became critical.
—Time, 3 Dec. 2025
Last week, the president said Bessent was holding him back from firing the Fed chair, a move that’s both legally dubious and would risk tanking financial markets.
—Elliott Davis, The Hill, 26 Nov. 2025
The Roberts court, unusually obsessed with the Supreme Court’s public reputation and appearance of political interference, might consider such a ruling a way to balance limiting executive power without tanking the broader economy.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanking
Verb
-
And the brands that are flopping are the ones that are too safe.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
19 Dec. 2025
-
If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The soil is collapsing, leaving something resembling large puddles among the freshwater marshes.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
At the same time, a currency collapsing under international sanctions, water shortages and recurring power outages have sharpened a sense of crisis across the country.—
Roxana Saberi,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
More than 10,000 people have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks for participating in the anti-government protests sparked by Iran’s failing economy, according to human rights groups, and many have begun to demand total regime change as the demonstrations continue.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Some of Miami’s 23 turnovers were a function of OKC’s attacking defense, but others were simply careless, including an over-and-back violation by Jaime Jaquez; Dru Smith and Pelle Larsson passes to nobody in particular; and Bam Adebayo failing to grab a catchable pass that sailed out of bounds.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Still, Samsung in some ways is off to a stronger start with the Galaxy Z TriFold than the earliest folding smartphones.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Even worse, folding them back to flat-form following use has been difficult or impossible.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
However, the technology has been moving faster than state regulations can accommodate, and lawmakers have been struggling to walk the line between innovation and patient safety.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
And, for many borrowers struggling with debt, exploring alternatives like debt settlement or consolidation may offer significant relief without the complications that bankruptcy rules can create.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Prater was hurt in the first half of a season-ending 35-8 win over the New York Jets on Sunday in his return after missing two games.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The only thing missing from his resume is Olympic gold.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Piper Sandler’s Laperriere said Trump used such types of force infrequently during his first term and held off on bombing Iran.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Just hours before the US began bombing Iraq in 2003, Husain and his family stole around $1 billion in what has been described as the largest bank heist of all time.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanking. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share