sunk

1 of 2
Synonyms of sunknext

past tense and past participle of sink

sunk

2 of 2

adjective

ˈsəŋk How to pronounce sunk (audio)
1
: depressed in spirits
2
: done for, ruined
If Joe Glaser found out that he'd booked another band …, he was sunk. … Cross Joe Glaser and the lucrative stopover dates … would vanish.—James McBride

Synonyms of sunk

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Adjective

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Examples of sunk in a Sentence

Adjective all our savings went for lottery tickets, and now we're sunk
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
The train is, of course, a classic example of the perennial perils of sunk costs; abandoning the line seems absurd (even to us) given how much money would be written off. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 In my experience, mid-market companies operate with leaner teams and cannot absorb the sunk costs of a multi-month implementation with room for scope creep, reworks and failures. — Prathamesh Bhingarde, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Then there’s the sunk cost of picks already spent trying to find The Guy — picks that weren’t used for help up front for Bedard. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 24 June 2026 This mindset, however, can also foster a sunk cost fallacy. — Kumar Rakesh Ranjan, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sunk

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of sunk was in 1583

Phrases Containing sunk

Rhymes for sunk

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Browse Nearby Words

suni
sunk
sunk center
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Cite this Entry

“Sunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunk. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sunk

past and past participle of sink

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