scuttled
Americanadjective
-
(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.
-
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
Etymology
Origin of scuttled
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The vessel was attacked by HMS Balfour in July 1944 but was scuttled by its 52 crew - all of whom survived.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The paper reports the 68-year-old was accosted at a cash machine, but fought back against the thief, who it says "scuttled away empty handed".
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The CEO’s dismissal scuttled any hopes of a quick reset.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
The SpaceX IPO filing is full of so many red flags that it would have scuttled other launches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
Stella scuttled farther away, stones cutting into her palms.
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
