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   sink

   /sɪŋk/

   verb

   • 1. go down below the surface of something, especially of a liquid; become submerged: "he saw the coffin sink below the surface of the waves" Similar become submergedbe engulfedgo downdropfalldescenddisappearvanishOpposite risefloat
   • ▪ (of a ship) go to the bottom of the sea or some other body of water because of damage or a collision: "the trawler sank with the loss of all six crew" Similar foundergo undersubmergecapsize
   • ▪ cause (a ship) to sink: "a freak wave sank their boat near the shore" Similar scupperscuttlesend to the bottomopen the seacocks in
   • ▪ fail and not be seen or heard of again: "the film sank virtually without trace"
   • ▪ cause to fail: "this pledge could sink the government" Similar destroyruinwreckput an end tobe the ruin/ruination ofwreak havoc ondemolishdevastateblastblightsmashshatterdashtorpedoscotchsabotageinformal:put the kibosh onput the skids underput paid tobanjaxdo forblow a hole innixscupperdishthrow a spanner in the works ofthrow a monkey wrench in the works ofeuchrecruelarchaic:bring to naught
   • ▪ conceal, keep in the background, or ignore: "they agreed to sink their differences" Similar ignoreoverlookdisregardforgetput asideset asideput to one sideburyconsign to oblivion
   • 2. descend from a higher to a lower position; drop downwards: "you can relax on the veranda as the sun sinks low" Similar descenddropgo down/downwardscome down/downwardsgo lowerfallplungeplummetpitchfall headlongnosedivesetgo down/downwardsdip beneath the horizondescendOpposite ascendrise
   • ▪ (of a person) lower oneself or drop down gently: "she sank back on to her pillow" Similar lower oneselfflopcollapsedrop downslumpplump oneselfinformal:plonk oneselfplop oneselfplank oneselfOpposite stand up
   • ▪ gradually penetrate into the surface of something: "her feet sank into the thick pile of the carpet"
   • 3. gradually decrease or decline in value, amount, quality, or intensity: "their output sank to a third of the pre-war figure" Similar falldropbecome/get lowerbecome/get quieterbecome/get softerOpposite rise
   • ▪ approach death: "the doctor concluded that the lad was sinking fast" Similar deterioratedeclinefadefailweakengrow weakflaglanguishdegeneratedecaywaste awaybe at death's doorbe on one's deathbedbe breathing one's lastbe about to diebe approaching deathbe slipping awayhave one foot in the gravebe in extremisbecome moribundinformal:go downhillbe on one's last legsbe giving up the ghostOpposite recoverimprove
   • 4. insert beneath a surface: "rails fixed in place with screws sunk below the surface of the wood" Similar embedinsertdriveplaceput downplantposition
   • ▪ push or thrust (an object) into something: "Kelly stood watching, her hands sunk deep into her pockets"
   • ▪ excavate (a well) or bore (a shaft) vertically downwards: "they planned to sink a gold mine in Oklahoma" Similar digexcavateboredrill
   • ▪ hit (a ball) into a hole in golf or snooker: "he sank the black into the green pocket to secure victory"
   • ▪ (in golf) hit the ball into the hole with (a putt or other shot): "he sank a four-foot birdie putt at the fifth hole"
   • 5. rapidly consume (an alcoholic drink): informal British "they must have sunk a bit of booze yesterday" Similar drinkquaffgulp downinformal:downswillknock backpolish offdispose ofshiftget outside ofneckbevvychugscarf down

   Word Origin Old Englishsincan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zinken and German sinken.

   Derivatives

   • 1. sinkable adjective

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • S

     1

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

   • K

     5

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