dunk
Americanverb (used with object)
-
dunks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dunked,
past participle, past
-
dunking
present participle
-
to dip (a doughnut, cake, etc.) into coffee, milk, or the like, before eating.
-
to submerge in a liquid.
She dunked the curtains in the dye.
-
Basketball. to attempt to thrust (a ball) through the basket using a dunk shot.
verb (used without object)
-
dunks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dunked,
past participle, past
-
dunking
present participle
-
to dip or submerge something, oneself, etc., in a liquid.
She thinks it's vulgar to dunk. Let's dunk in the pool before dinner.
-
Basketball. to execute or attempt a dunk shot.
noun
-
dunks
plural
-
any flavorful sauce, dip, gravy, etc., into which portions of food are dipped before eating.
-
Basketball. dunk shot.
verb
-
to dip (bread, etc) in tea, soup, etc, before eating
-
to submerge or be submerged in liquid
Usage
What does dunk mean? Dunk means to dip or submerge something in liquid or something like a liquid. More specifically, it can refer to dipping foods into liquids or sauces or dips, like dunking a doughnut into coffee before eating it (but not for so long that it gets too soggy and part of it falls in—it’s a delicate process). In basketball, to dunk is to put the ball directly into the hoop, especially forcefully (this kind of dunking is the opposite of delicate). Such a shot is called a dunk or a slam-dunk or a slam or a jam or a stuff or a throw-down (or even more colorful names, if you’re Darryl Dawkins). Example: I like to dunk my fries into the milkshake—don’t knock it till you try it.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dunksimple
-
dunkssimple
-
have dunkedperfect
-
has dunkedperfect
-
am dunkingprogressive
-
are dunkingprogressive
-
is dunkingprogressive
-
have been dunkingperfect progressive
-
has been dunkingperfect progressive
Past
-
dunkedsimple
-
had dunkedperfect
-
was dunkingprogressive
-
were dunkingprogressive
-
had been dunkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dunk
An Americanism first recorded in 1865–70; from Pennsylvania Dutch dunke “to dip, immerse”; compare German tunken, Middle High German dunken, tunken, Old High German thunkōn, dunkōn
Vocabulary lists containing dunk
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Of course, betting on sports rights isn’t a slam dunk.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
The states’ lawsuit offers coherent concerns about the deal’s impact on the film and cable TV marketplaces, but it doesn’t look like a slam dunk, according to antitrust experts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Carr’s father, Chris, played six seasons in the NBA, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 1997 NBA dunk contest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
During the question and answer section, Forbes said her 2023 leadership bid was initially viewed "as a bit of a slum dunk", adding: "I was very much in the lead."
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
I knew that he wanted to dunk it.
From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
Yes, his game is short on poster dunks and rim-rattling highlights, but SGA is the game’s most ruthless superstar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Wembanyama was a French wunderkind who could pass and shoot like a point guard, throw down dunks like a center—and happened to stand 7 feet, 4 inches tall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Two days off between games left James looking spry, with lob dunks and dunks on the fast break contributing to his 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026
In the opening round all four players attempted two dunks, receiving a score between 40 and 50 per try.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026
The entire gym rises up in anticipation and Boy21 dunks the ball with resounding authority.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
"It's so tough playing an individual sport. You can't be subbed out, you just have to be dunked back in the deep end immediately," former British player Naomi Broady said on BBC TV.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Ausar dunked with 15 seconds left before Smith was fouled intentionally and made both shots with 13.6 seconds left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2026
He made 142 3-pointers last season, and he dunked only 91 times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
Unfazed, Matteo dunked his arms into the oil and felt around for the bones.
From Slate ● Dec. 15, 2024
Only their top halves had taken on a scarlet-and-golden hue, as if someone had dunked them halfway in a bucket of fire and then plopped them back on the lawn.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
But the dunking spawned the legend of the "Curse of the Colonel" that said the Tigers would never win another title until the effigy was recovered.
From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025
Gene Cao spends six days a week working at a Chinese restaurant near Tampa, Fla., dunking crab rangoons and chicken wings into the fryer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
“It’s kind of like watching LeBron still dunking at 40,” Maynard said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2025
He starts each morning by folding his hands in prayer, dunking his face in a sink full of ice water afterward.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2025
When I got back, Gus was home from work, sitting in a lawn chair dunking turnip greens in a bucket of water.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
