Etymology
Origin of tanked
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.
Early in his L.A. tenure, Walden landed a solid gig scoring movies made for television, a business that tanked with the advent of reality TV.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
That gummed up credit markets, tanked the value of money-market funds, and sent global stock markets into a tailspin.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
However, prices tanked on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump said war on Iran was "going to be ended soon" and it emerged that the Group of Seven developed nations would discuss tapping stockpiles.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
Industrial energy demand tanked and has never recovered as businesses closed down and sought to burn less gas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
And then, of course, the economy tanked and the country defaulted on its debt.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
