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Synonyms

sink in

British  

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to enter or penetrate the mind

    eventually the news sank in

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sink in Idioms  
  1. Penetrate the mind, be absorbed, as in The news of the crash didn't sink in right away. [Late 1300s]


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:

For Waldrop’s half-brothers, Charles and Julian, the sermons never quite sink in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

By adjusting their size, the larvae can change their buoyancy and control whether they rise or sink in the lake.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

Anthony Joshua says he is not ready for the loss of his two close friends and team members to "sink in yet" as he prepares for his first fight since their death.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

High pressure causes colder air to sink in the atmosphere, where it compresses, warms up and dries out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The part about Rosa and the River Run doesn’t actually sink in because she’s completely fixated on Gavin.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

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