1
2
3
a
: to soak or become absorbed : penetrate
b
: to become impressively known or felt
the lesson had sunk in
4
: to become deeply absorbed
sank into reverie
5
a
: to go downward in quality, state, or condition
b
: to grow less in amount or worth
6
a
: to fall or drop slowly for lack of strength
b
: to become depressed
c
: to fail in health or strength
broadly
: fail
1
a
: to cause to sink
sink a battleship
b
: to force down especially below the earth's surface
c
: to cause (something) to penetrate
3
a
: to dig or bore (a well or shaft) in the earth : excavate
b
: to form by cutting or excising
sink words in stone
5
: to lower in standing or reputation : abase
6
a
: to lessen in value or amount
b
: to lower or soften (the voice) in speaking
8
: to pay off (something, such as a debt) : liquidate
10
: drop sense 7c
sink a putt
sink a jump shot
11
chiefly British
: to drink down completely
plural sinks
1
2
: a place where vice, corruption, or evil collects
3
4
a
: a depression in the land surface
especially
: one having a saline lake with no outlet
b
: sinkhole
5
: a body or process that acts as a storage device or disposal mechanism: such as
a
: heat sink
broadly
: a device that collects or dissipates energy (such as radiation)
b
: a reactant with or absorber of a substance
The oceans are a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).—
Andrew J. Watson et al.
see also carbon sink
Andrew J. Watson et al.Synonyms
Examples of sink in a Sentence
Verb
The passengers were rescued from the boat before it sank.
The rock sank to the bottom of the pool.
My foot sank into the deep mud.
She sank up to her knees in the snow.
The torpedo sank the ship.
The sun sank behind the hills.
She sank back into the cozy chair.
The temperature sinks quickly after the sun sets.
The lake's water level is slowly sinking.
His strength is slowly sinking.
Noun
was able to rise above the sink that was his birthplace
Recent Examples on the WebMelissa Epifano, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Since glaciers disappeared from North America, the loss of ice on top of the continent has been slowly causing the East Coast to sink.
—Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
And then the pandemic arrived and global forces threatened to sink their fragile business.
—Terry W. Hartle, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
Similar concerns this January helped sink Utah legislation that would have abolished the subminimum wage, said Nate Crippes, the public affairs supervising attorney at the Disability Law Center of Utah.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The karst geography, which consists of rock that easily allows contamination from the soil to sink into the groundwater, makes the area more susceptible than most other areas of the state.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
Tesla’s sinking stock Tesla stock dropped almost 6% on Tuesday after the company announced its poor first-quarter deliveries, before recouping some losses on Wednesday.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Some artists capture political disillusionment in China, such as in Fang Lijun’s large painting of a man sinking into azure water.
—Tiffany May, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
The ship slowly sank over the next three days, according to the DPAA.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
The khaki-colored cushions are plush enough to sink into for hours, while the color combination of neutral and black fits into nearly any backyard aesthetic.
—Melissa Epifano, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Since glaciers disappeared from North America, the loss of ice on top of the continent has been slowly causing the East Coast to sink.
—Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
And then the pandemic arrived and global forces threatened to sink their fragile business.
—Terry W. Hartle, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
Similar concerns this January helped sink Utah legislation that would have abolished the subminimum wage, said Nate Crippes, the public affairs supervising attorney at the Disability Law Center of Utah.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The karst geography, which consists of rock that easily allows contamination from the soil to sink into the groundwater, makes the area more susceptible than most other areas of the state.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
Tesla’s sinking stock Tesla stock dropped almost 6% on Tuesday after the company announced its poor first-quarter deliveries, before recouping some losses on Wednesday.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Some artists capture political disillusionment in China, such as in Fang Lijun’s large painting of a man sinking into azure water.
—Tiffany May, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
The ship slowly sank over the next three days, according to the DPAA.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to sink
Dictionary Entries Near sink
Cite this Entry
“Sink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sink. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sink
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to move or cause to move downward usually so as to be below the surface or swallowed up
feet sinking into deep mud
sink a ship
b
: to descend gradually lower and lower
the sun sank behind the hills
2
: to lessen in amount or strength
3
: to fall to or into a lower status (as of quality, worth, or number) : decline
sink into decay
4
a
: to penetrate or cause to penetrate
sank my ax into the tree
b
: to become absorbed
the water sank into the dry ground
5
: to form by digging or boring
sink a well
6
: invest entry 2 sense 1
sank a million dollars in the new company
7
: to fail in strength, spirits, or health
my heart sank
sink
2 of 2 noun1
a
: cesspool
b
2
: a stationary basin for washing (as in a kitchen) connected with a drain and usually a water supply
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share