sinker

American  

[sing-ker] / ˈsɪŋ kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that sinks.

2. a person employed in sinking, as one who sinks shafts.

3. a weight, as of lead, for sinking a fishing line or net below the surface of the water.

4. Slang. a doughnut or, sometimes, a biscuit or muffin.

5. Also called sinkerball. Baseball. a fastball that curves downward sharply as it reaches the plate.

6. diesinker.

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sinker British  

/ ˈsɪŋkə /

noun

1. a weight attached to a fishing line, net, etc, to cause it to sink in water

2. a person who sinks shafts, etc

3. an informal word for doughnut

4. See hook

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sinker Idioms  

1. see hook, line, and sinker.

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Other Word Forms

• sinkerless
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of sinker

First recorded in 1520–30; 1870–75 in the sense “doughnut“; 1930–35 in the baseball sense; sink + -er ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sinker

Unlike many of his bullpen counterparts, who rely on no more than two pitches, Ashby has four, highlighted by his 97 mph sinker and devastating curveball.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

“A 2-0 sinker in, I mean, I’m going to live with that, left-on-left,” Skubal said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Four of the last five outs he’d recorded were strikeouts, with a different putaway pitch for each: slider, sinker, curveball, changeup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Ohtani fouled off the next two pitches before whiffing on a sinker to end the inning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

The new prisoners nodded, buying it hook, line, and sinker.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz

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Related Words

• bun
• pastry

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