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
Commissioner Adam Silver could punish tanking teams by moving draft picks to the end of the lottery or the end of the first round.
—
Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The last 10 games have essentially turned into a tanking leaderboard, and the race to the bottom is brutally tight.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The absence of defense allowed the tanking Mavericks to stay within striking distance most of the game.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
In a matchup of teams widely believed to be tanking in order to improve their draft prospects, the Wizards never trailed and pulled ahead by 37 late in the third quarter.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
During this five-game skid, the Heat is allowing 126 points per 100 possessions; that 126 defensive rating is fourth worst in the league, ahead of only three tanking teams (Pacers, Wizards, Bucks) and a shocking number for an organization that prides itself on defense.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Sure, the Bulls should shut down players such as Jalen Smith and Tre Jones — winners who can prop up the rest of the flailing offense against a truly tanking team — for the rest of the season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The last 10 games have essentially turned into a tanking leaderboard, and the race to the bottom is brutally tight.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The absence of defense allowed the tanking Mavericks to stay within striking distance most of the game.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
In a matchup of teams widely believed to be tanking in order to improve their draft prospects, the Wizards never trailed and pulled ahead by 37 late in the third quarter.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
During this five-game skid, the Heat is allowing 126 points per 100 possessions; that 126 defensive rating is fourth worst in the league, ahead of only three tanking teams (Pacers, Wizards, Bucks) and a shocking number for an organization that prides itself on defense.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Sure, the Bulls should shut down players such as Jalen Smith and Tre Jones — winners who can prop up the rest of the flailing offense against a truly tanking team — for the rest of the season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanking
Verb
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Girlfriend scales the diaristic, bric-a-brac charm of Janky Star into a high-drama pop monument to trying, flopping, and trying even harder next time.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
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Cutting stems back by one-third their height will help plants resist flopping under the weight of the flowers.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The team had the best record in the major leagues as recently as June 13 of last season before collapsing and missing the postseason — a collapse that still stings for fans.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The beach patrol headquarters is in danger of collapsing and will be demolished this weekend.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lawsuits also accuse the manufacturers of failing to warn parents of the risk.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Richardson has prior arrests and convictions in Alabama for domestic violence, disorderly conduct and failing to appear in court dating back to March 2011, Manley said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mindless chores like folding laundry or washing dishes are great for this.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to their practicality, folding bookshelves are also available in various styles and materials.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lillibridge says the prices are piling onto an already struggling industry.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Be missing for weeks, nobody can find them.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
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Raynaud has started 48 games with Domantas Sabonis missing most of the season due to injuries.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, Lamont’s idea for a gasoline tax rebate remains in flux as prices have soared due to the war in Iran as the United States and Israel have continued bombing the country in the Middle East.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
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The Russian tactic is to surround and then choke cities while bombing them to rubble.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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