scuttled

[skuht-ld]

adjective

1. (of a vessel) deliberately sunk, often by opening seacocks or making openings in the hull.

   It is important to ensure that the scuttled vessel is suitably weighted and negatively buoyant so it will sink rapidly and remain stable on the bottom.

2. abandoned, dropped, cut, or thwarted, as a hope, plan, program, etc..

   In the fallout over the scuttled deal, two executives were fired for ethical violations related to the negotiations.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of scuttle.

Word History and Origins

Origin of scuttled¹

First recorded in 1740–50; scuttle ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; scuttle ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Two of the wind projects were scuttled by developers, while three others got built.

From Salon

“Nothing in this partisan, previously scuttled document changes that,” Warner said in a statement on Wednesday.

From Salon

A Times photographer and I, slightly underdressed, scuttled past the valet and into the backyard.

From Los Angeles Times

The next year, the Board of Supervisors scuttled Tung’s nomination to the Police Commission because, in the climate following George Floyd’s murder, she was seen as too pro-police.

From Los Angeles Times

They began discussing it years ago in its initial preproduction stage before the pandemic, when the project was temporarily scuttled and recast.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• scamper 
• scurry