dunk

1 of 2

verb

ˈdəŋk How to pronounce dunk (audio)
dunked; dunking; dunks
Synonyms of dunknext

transitive verb

1
: to dip (something, such as a piece of bread) into a beverage while eating
2
: to dip or submerge temporarily in liquid
3
: to throw (a basketball) into the basket from above the rim see also dunk on

intransitive verb

1
: to submerge oneself in water
2
: to make a dunk shot in basketball

dunk

2 of 2

noun

: the act or action of dunking
especially : dunk shot

Synonyms of dunk

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Verb

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Examples of dunk in a Sentence

Verb I like to dunk my doughnut in my coffee. She dunked him while they were swimming. He dunked the ladle into the soup. He could dunk when he was 16. Noun The pass led to a dunk.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Mahomes was far from his best either, nearly losing a fumble in the third quarter, and mostly dinking and dunking his way down the field. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball during the third quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. — CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026 Denver erased the deficit on 3-pointers from Murray and Jokic, a reverse dunk from Aaron Gordon, and then had a chance to go ahead with 17 seconds left but Murray made two of three free throws to tie it. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dunk

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn — more at tinge

First Known Use

Verb

1926, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dunk was in 1926

Phrases Containing dunk

Rhymes for dunk

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Browse Nearby Words

dunite
dunk
dunkadoo
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Cite this Entry

“Dunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunk. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dunk

verb
ˈdəŋk
1
: to dip (as a doughnut) into liquid (as coffee)
2
: to plunge oneself into water
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