sink in

verb

sank in or sunk in; sunk in; sinking in; sinks in
: to become completely known, felt, or understood
I had to tell him what to do over and over before it finally sank in.
The fact that she's left me still hasn't really sunk in.

Examples of sink in in a Sentence

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.
Vellas will follow up a true crime hit with another real-life story by chronicling the 1988 accident, when the Bateau Mouche IV boat sank in Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay, killing 55 people. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 Before even making it to the midway point of October, that noise no longer exists, and that reality has understandably sunk in for one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in college sports. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 An employee handled dirty dishes and then cleaned dishes without washing their hands, and handwashing sinks in the dish room and bar did not have soap available at the time of inspection. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026 To be sitting on the sidelines as the editor and watch a translation sink in the mud of the centre of the pitch was anathema to him. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sink in

Rhymes for sink in

See All Rhymes for sink in

Browse Nearby Words

sinkhole
sink in
sinking feeling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sink in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sink%20in. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All