Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet only last spring, the PCE inflation rate had sunk to a post-pandemic low of 2.3%.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026
This was a measure of how low defence and security had fallen in the nation's priorities - and a measure, too, of the complacency into which much of Europe had sunk.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
He said it was the first time a U.S. torpedo had sunk an enemy ship since World War II.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
But weeks later, they learned the boat carrying the group had sunk near the Greek island of Crete.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
The others were silent and he could tell that his words had sunk in.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
