tanking
tanking — adjective
- tankingpositive
- more tankingcomparative
- most tankingsuperlative
1. describing a business, market, product, or reputation that is dropping sharply a
describing a business, market, product, or reputation that is dropping sharply and quickly in success, quality, or value.
The tanking economy forced Liang to close his small restaurant.
attributive position before noun
Ritu tried to sell her apartment during the tanking housing market.
The company's tanking reputation scared away potential investors.
tanking reputation — drop in public image
Nkechi watched the tanking value of her savings with growing worry.
Banks stopped lending to businesses in the tanking retail sector.
tanking + sector/industry noun
- tanking economy
- tanking market
- tanking ratings
- tanking stock
- tanking sales
- tanking reputation
- declining
more neutral and formal; 'declining' describes a gradual or steady drop, while 'tanking' implies a sudden, sharp fall
- plummeting
similar sense of sharp drop, often used for prices or values; slightly more dramatic
- slumping
suggests a longer downturn rather than a sudden crash; common for sales or the economy
Grammar Patterns
tanking + noun (e.g. tanking economy, tanking ratings)
Usage Note
Commonly used before nouns such as 'economy', 'market', 'ratings', 'stock', 'reputation', 'sales'. Rarely appears in predicative position ('the economy is tanking' uses the verb form instead).
Common Mistakes
tanking — noun
1. a situation in which a business, market, or investment experiences a fast and se
a situation in which a business, market, or investment experiences a fast and severe drop in success or monetary worth.
The sudden tanking of the stock market erased months of gains.
the tanking of + noun
Economists were alarmed by the tanking of the technology sector last quarter.
The tanking of the local currency made imported electronics much more expensive.
the tanking of + currency
Tamar blamed the tanking of her investment portfolio on bad advice from her broker.
The rapid tanking of oil prices brought relief to drivers but hurt energy companies.
- tanking of the market
- tanking of prices
- sudden tanking
- rapid tanking
- unexpected tanking
- collapse
more dramatic, suggests complete failure; 'collapse' is stronger than 'tanking'
- plunge
describes a very sharp downward movement, especially in prices or values
- downturn
more formal and less sudden; describes a general economic decline over a period
- slump
a prolonged period of poor performance, less sudden than 'tanking'
Grammar Patterns
the tanking of + noun
suffer a tanking
Usage Note
Used almost exclusively in informal business or financial contexts. Often paired with 'sudden', 'rapid', or 'unexpected' to emphasise the surprise element of the decline.
Common Mistakes
2. the practice of deliberately playing poorly or making no effort to win a game or
the practice of deliberately playing poorly or making no effort to win a game or competition, often to gain a future advantage such as a better draft pick or an easier opponent.
Fans accused the basketball team of tanking to get a better draft position.
accused of tanking — common legal/sports pattern
The league investigated the club for suspected tanking during the final match of the season.
suspected tanking
Romi defended the tanking as a long-term strategy to rebuild the squad for next year.
The coach was fired after evidence of tanking emerged in the team's internal emails.
- accused of tanking
- suspected tanking
- tanking allegations
- tanking strategy
- deliberate tanking
- throwing a game
more general term; 'throwing a game' can happen for any reason, while 'tanking' often implies a strategic organisational decision
- sandbagging
deliberately underperforming to hide one's true ability; common in individual sports and games
- match-fixing
criminal activity where the outcome is arranged for betting purposes, much more serious than 'tanking'
- fair play
competing honestly and making a genuine effort to win
- sportsmanship
the ethical conduct expected of athletes during competition
Grammar Patterns
accused of tanking
suspected tanking
tanking strategy
Usage Note
Primarily used in North American professional sports contexts (NBA, NFL, NHL). Carries a negative moral judgment — it implies the team is betraying the spirit of fair competition. Compare 'strategic rest' (which is seen as more acceptable).
Common Mistakes
3. a waterproof coating or protective layer spread onto a surface such as a wall, f
a waterproof coating or protective layer spread onto a surface such as a wall, floor, or roof to prevent water or moisture from seeping through.
The builder applied a liquid rubber tanking to the basement walls to stop the damp.
apply + tanking — common collocation
Manuela inspected the tanking on the flat roof before the rainy season began.
A proper tanking system is essential for any underground car park to remain dry.
tanking system
The old tanking had cracked over time, so water was leaking into the storage room.
- apply tanking
- tanking system
- tanking membrane
- liquid tanking
- tanking compound
- tanking layer
- waterproofing
more general term; 'waterproofing' is the broader category, while 'tanking' specifically refers to the coating or membrane applied to building surfaces
- damp-proofing
specifically aimed at preventing moisture from rising through walls or floors; similar but not identical technique
- sealant
a substance used to block the passage of fluids through a surface or joint
Grammar Patterns
apply tanking
tanking system
tanking membrane
Usage Note
Standard term in British construction and civil engineering. In American English, 'waterproofing' or 'damp-proofing' is more common for the same concept. The material can be a paint-like liquid, a sheet membrane, or a cement-based slurry.
Common Mistakes
tanking — verb
- tankingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tankings3rd person singular
- tankinging-ing form
- tankingedpast simple
1. to drop sharply and quickly in price, performance, quality, or value, often in a
to drop sharply and quickly in price, performance, quality, or value, often in a way that causes concern or financial loss.
The technology company's shares tanked after the CEO resigned unexpectedly.
shares tanked — financial context
Sofia's health tanked after months of working fifteen-hour days without a break.
[person's] health tanked — extended metaphor
Tamás watched his property portfolio tank during the housing market recession.
The restaurant's reputation tanked when a food critic found cockroaches in the kitchen.
Tourism numbers in the region tanked after the volcano covered the town in ash.
intransitive: [noun] tanked — no direct object
- shares tank
- prices tank
- sales tank
- ratings tank
- the economy tanks
- health tanks
- plummet
more vivid, suggests a vertical drop; often used for physical objects or quantitative values
- crash
implies a sudden and disastrous fall, especially in financial markets; stronger than 'tank'
- slump
less sudden than 'tank'; describes a gradual decline over a period
- collapse
suggests total failure or disintegration rather than just a drop in value
Grammar Patterns
[noun] tanks/tanked
prices/shares/the economy tank
Usage Note
Intransitive only — you cannot 'tank something' in this sense. Subject is typically a metric (price, sales, ratings) or a health/reputation. Avoid using with human subjects ('he tanked' for 'he failed' is a different slang register, not standard).
Common Mistakes
2. to deliberately perform poorly in a game, match, or competition so that the oppo
to deliberately perform poorly in a game, match, or competition so that the opponent wins, usually for a strategic reason such as obtaining a better draft pick or an easier matchup later.
The star player refused to tank the game even when the coach asked him to.
tank + game — typical transitive pattern
Romi tanked the final match so her friend could qualify for the national tournament.
Anthony suspected the opposing team was tanking the series to avoid facing the defending champions.
was tanking — continuous form common in sports context
The boxer was accused of tanking the fight after unusual betting patterns were detected.
The manager decided to tank the rest of the season to avoid injuring key players.
- tank the game
- tank the match
- tank the season
- tank the fight
- tank the round
- throw
more general; 'throw a game' can be for any reason (betting, friendship, strategy), while 'tank' often implies an organisational decision
- take a dive
more informal and theatrical; often implies faking a knockout in boxing
- lay down
sports slang for giving up without a real fight
Grammar Patterns
tank + game/match/fight/round
tank the season
Usage Note
Distinguish from noun sense 2: the verb requires a direct object ('tank the game'), while the noun stands alone ('accused of tanking'). Though 'tanking' appears similar, the grammatical pattern differs. Rarely used in formal writing; typically appears in sports journalism and fan discussion.
Common Mistakes
3. to put a liquid, gas, or other material into a large container for storage, proc
to put a liquid, gas, or other material into a large container for storage, processing, or treatment.
The factory tanks the chemicals in steel containers before processing them further.
tank + noun + in + container
Trang tanked the rainwater for use in the vegetable garden during the dry summer months.
tank + noun + for + purpose
Bao tanked the paint samples in sealed canisters to keep them fresh for a client.
The freshly caught fish were tanked in large saltwater pools before being shipped to markets.
passive: were tanked
The brewery tanks the unfiltered beer for two weeks to let the flavours develop.
- tank the chemicals
- tank the water
- tank the beer
- tanked in containers
- tanked for storage
- store
general term for keeping something for future use; not tied to a specific type of container
- contain
focuses on holding rather than the act of putting in
- process in a tank
more explicit; describes treating or preparing material inside a tank
Grammar Patterns
tank + noun + in/into + container
tank + noun + for + purpose
Usage Note
The only literal (non-figurative) sense of 'tank'/'tanking'. Often occurs in passive voice ('the milk is tanked'). In everyday conversation, 'store in a tank' or 'put in a tank' is more common than 'tank' as a verb in this sense.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four describe a sharp downward movement, but they differ in speed, severity, and what kind of thing is falling. 'Tank' (verb/1) is informal and often used for broad metrics — a company's shares, the economy, or even someone's health. 'Plummet' is more vivid and suggests a near-vertical drop, like a stone falling from a cliff; it works well for prices and temperatures. 'Crash' implies a sudden and catastrophic failure, especially in financial markets — a stock market crash is far more dramatic than a stock that merely tanks. 'Slump' is the gentlest of the set; it describes a dip or downturn that lasts a while, like slumping sales over a quarter, rather than a single-day disaster. 'Collapse' is the most extreme, suggesting total disintegration: a building collapses, a government collapses, a company collapses into bankruptcy. For a learner, 'tank' is your go-to informal verb for a fast drop; use 'plummet' when you want to sound more expressive, 'slump' for a slow decline, and 'crash' or 'collapse' only when the situation is genuinely disastrous.
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb 'tank' originally meant 'to place or store in a tank' (a large container for liquids), first recorded in the late 1800s. The metaphorical sense 'to suffer rapid decline' emerged in American slang in the 1970s, likely from the image of something sinking to the bottom of a tank or from the expression 'tank out' (to empty or fail). The sports slang sense 'lose intentionally' appeared in the 1990s. The British construction term 'tanking' (waterproofing) developed from the literal sense of sealing a structure like a water tank.
First known use
1609
1609, in the meaning defined at sense 4 Verb