tank

1 of 2

noun

ˈtaŋk 

1

: a usually large receptacle for holding, transporting, or storing liquids (such as water or fuel)

2

: an enclosed heavily armed and armored combat vehicle that moves on tracks

3

: tank top

4

dialect : pond, pool

especially : one built as a water supply

5

: a prison cell or enclosure used especially for receiving prisoners

tankful

ˈtaŋk-ˌfu̇l 

noun

tanklike

ˈtaŋk-ˌlīk 

adjective

tank

2 of 2

verb

tanked; tanking; tanks

transitive verb

1

: to make no effort to win : lose intentionally

tanked the match

2

: to place, store, or treat in a tank

intransitive verb

1

: to lose intentionally : give up in competition

2

: to suffer rapid decline, failure, or collapse

bought a stock that quickly tanked

Phrases

in the tank or into the tank

: in or into a decline or slump

the sullen student's grades went into the tank

Synonyms

Verb

• bomb
• collapse
• crater
• fail
• flame out
• flop
• flunk
• fold
• founder
• miss
• strike out
• wash out

Examples of tank in a Sentence

Verb

Some people say she deliberately tanked the match.

Some people have accused her of tanking.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The scoop neck tank is ideal for wearing under other items during your trip, and the pants are easy to throw on for the plane, the pool, or a post-dinner ice cream run. —Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2024

Fill the top tank to the marked lines with warm water and detergent, pull a trigger on the handle to wet wash, and then run over the area slowly and watch the bottom tank fill with dirty water. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024

Verb

Overnight, a cold front brought storms to parts of southern Wisconsin and will tank temperatures in Milwaukee from an unseasonably warm afternoon high of 77 degrees Wednesday afternoon to the low 50s Thursday afternoon. —Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024

Since most consumers don’t feel like repainting their home every year, leaning too far into today’s 15-minute trends can tank a brand’s color credibility while leaving their customers cringing with regret. —Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Portuguese tanque, alteration of estanque, from estancar to stanch, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *stanticare — more at stanch

First Known Use

Noun

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1863, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Phrases Containing tank

• anti-tank
• drop tank
• drunk tank
• septic tank
• tank car
• tank destroyer
• tank suit
• tank top
• tank town
• tank up
• think tank

Kids Definition

tank

1 of 2 noun

ˈtaŋk 

1

: a usually large container for holding, transporting, or storing liquids

2

: an enclosed heavily armed and armored combat vehicle that moves on beltlike tracks

tank

2 of 2 verb

: to place, store, or treat in a tank