as in fading
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1
1
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
his fortunes have steadily sunk since the breakup of his business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plunging
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
I had just bought a bundle of shares of the stock when its price sank like a rock
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3
as in stifling
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
sinks his pride and makes the first step towards a reconciliation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in vanishing
to cease to be visible
that evening we sat on the beach, dreamily watching the sun sink beneath the horizon
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in reducing
to diminish the price or value of
the slightest nick will sink the price of a piece of Tiffany glass
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in humiliating
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the revelation that he has been embezzling for years definitely sinks him in my opinion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in falling
to lead or extend downward
the road sinks abruptly after that curve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in weakening
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the old woman only sunk further after she was moved to the nursing home
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sinking
CBS News, 31 May 2026
Lower flows mean less sediment flushing downstream, accelerating the sinking of the Louisiana delta.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 31 May 2026
Last month, on the 114th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, the museum’s Titanic exhibit flooded after heavy storms that week.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
With a top altitude of 1,100 feet, this position at the highest point in the AVA offers warmer nighttime temperatures than the valley floor thanks to the warm air rising and cool air sinking, while daytime temperatures are lower than in areas closer to sea level.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 May 2026
After the sinking, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported the Ursa Major was carrying port cranes and hatches designed to cover the nuclear reactors of a new icebreaker being built in Vladivostok.
—Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
In 2009, Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, died in Hampshire, England at 97.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
This means buildings here are more prone to subsidence, or sinking, and differential foundation settlement, when different parts of the building’s foundation sink at different rates, both of which can cause major structural issues.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
The sinking has damaged part of the Friant-Kern Canal, a major water conduit for farms, reducing its carrying capacity and requiring $326 million in repairs.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 June 2026
In the early hours of June 1, Herring attacked again, sinking two additional Japanese cargo ships anchored near the island.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
The town above it, Cap d'Artrutx, has a long promenade along a low cliff edge where thousands will gather to watch totality, followed by a deep, partially eclipsed sun sinking into the Mediterranean.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 June 2026
Two plays in particular – Will Smith’s deep drive in the second inning and Andy Pages’ sinking liner in the fifth – kept the Dodgers from doing more damage to Rodriguez.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 2 June 2026
The current roster is a sinking ship taking on water faster than the public relations department — sorry, the front office — can bail.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Blend a mix of frozen mango and berries with just enough soy or oat milk to get things moving in the blender while keeping it thick enough to hold its toppings without sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 2 June 2026
Objects are seemingly frozen while sinking into the carpet.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
The bigger issue is what all this means for a country made up of small islands that are slowly sinking.
—Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Noun
So, when planning began for the Lincoln Memorial in the early 1910s, builders faced a real sinking problem.
—CBS News, 31 May 2026
Lower flows mean less sediment flushing downstream, accelerating the sinking of the Louisiana delta.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 31 May 2026
Last month, on the 114th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, the museum’s Titanic exhibit flooded after heavy storms that week.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
With a top altitude of 1,100 feet, this position at the highest point in the AVA offers warmer nighttime temperatures than the valley floor thanks to the warm air rising and cool air sinking, while daytime temperatures are lower than in areas closer to sea level.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 May 2026
After the sinking, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported the Ursa Major was carrying port cranes and hatches designed to cover the nuclear reactors of a new icebreaker being built in Vladivostok.
—Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
In 2009, Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, died in Hampshire, England at 97.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
This means buildings here are more prone to subsidence, or sinking, and differential foundation settlement, when different parts of the building’s foundation sink at different rates, both of which can cause major structural issues.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
The sinking has damaged part of the Friant-Kern Canal, a major water conduit for farms, reducing its carrying capacity and requiring $326 million in repairs.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Verb
And while the company provided a positive outlook for the current quarter, the market was looking for even stronger AI revenue, sinking shares in the after-market.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 June 2026
In the early hours of June 1, Herring attacked again, sinking two additional Japanese cargo ships anchored near the island.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
The town above it, Cap d'Artrutx, has a long promenade along a low cliff edge where thousands will gather to watch totality, followed by a deep, partially eclipsed sun sinking into the Mediterranean.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 June 2026
Two plays in particular – Will Smith’s deep drive in the second inning and Andy Pages’ sinking liner in the fifth – kept the Dodgers from doing more damage to Rodriguez.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 2 June 2026
The current roster is a sinking ship taking on water faster than the public relations department — sorry, the front office — can bail.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Blend a mix of frozen mango and berries with just enough soy or oat milk to get things moving in the blender while keeping it thick enough to hold its toppings without sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 2 June 2026
Objects are seemingly frozen while sinking into the carpet.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
The bigger issue is what all this means for a country made up of small islands that are slowly sinking.
—Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinking
Adjective
-
Livaura Retinol Anti-Aging Hand Cream Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that boosts cell turnover and collagen production, while fading wrinkles, fine lines, and reducing visible signs of aging like dullness, dark spots, and texture.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Thus, the wrecking ball came for the Purple Passion Pit and the rest of the complex, a monument to a fading but wonderfully hospitable era of Chicago entertainment and local entrepreneurship.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The process, known as lithospheric foundering, resembles a geological process on Earth in which portions of the planet's outermost layer sink into the mantle.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Any major foundering in New Mexico could have long-lasting consequences.—
Elliot Haspel,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This review may have already given away a little too much, but high places and plummeting are important details in this story.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
-
With enrollment plummeting and bloated staffing levels, the district is already on shaky financial footing and can’t sustain payroll without drawing down its reserves.—
Aaron Garth Smith,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But higher oil prices — particularly if the conflict in the Middle East escalates — or a deteriorating labor market could make the consumer slowdown sharper than currently anticipated.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Raman, who endorsed Bass’ reelection bid only to launch a surprise campaign to unseat her, said the incumbent lacked urgency on an array of issues, including production of new apartments, fixing deteriorating streets and sidewalks, and halting the exodus of entertainment industry jobs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
These deals have occurred at a time when plunging values, loan defaults and even foreclosures haunt the Bay Area hotel market.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
The Adidas campaign star wore a brown halter gown by the American designer with a plunging neckline that landed at Mendes’ waist, augmented by a gold hardware embellishment.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Players from the top European teams, like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, had already played sixty matches during their regular seasons, before taking to pitches in heat-dome temperatures of ninety-seven degrees and stifling humidity.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Everyone was very, very, very religious, but specifically Christianity and Catholicism, which in my opinion are very stifling religions that are very God-fearing.—
Louis Staples,
Glamour,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Reeves noted Connecticut will become just the second state to commit state dollars this year to replace vanishing federal SNAP support.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2026
-
Decades after Julian’s vanishing there, the band and various hangers-on recall eerie incidents both in and out of the house—rooms full of occult literature; pub full of haunting photographs—as well as the glimmering stranger circling the Orpheus-esque Julian.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The price tag comes from the California State Auditor’s report that was issued last fall, which found that maintaining similar telework policies could potentially save $225 million annually by reducing the government’s office space footprint.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
-
An April 2026 analysis identified 446 hospitals across 44 states at high risk of closing or reducing services because of Medicaid funding cuts.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinking. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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