# dunk

/ˈdəŋk/ (US) · /dˈʌŋk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dunk
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to dip in liquid

verb · CEFR B1

to dip something, like a biscuit or bread, into a liquid for a short time.

For teachers: to submerge an object briefly in a liquid, typically food into a beverage.

- He liked to dunk his ginger biscuits into his tea until they were soft.
- The tradition of dunking biscotti into dessert wine is common in many regions of Italy to soften the hard texture of the almond biscuits.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'into' or 'in'.

### 2. basketball

verb · CEFR B2

to jump high and push the ball down through the hoop with one or both hands.

For teachers: to leap high enough to forcefully thrust the ball directly downward through the basket.

- The crowd cheered when the star player managed to dunk the ball over the defender.
- The forward's ability to dunk with either hand makes him a formidable offensive threat during fast breaks.

Usage: Can be used transitively with 'the ball' or intransitively.

### 3. to mock online

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

to criticize or make fun of someone's post on social media in a clever way.

For teachers: to decisively defeat or humiliate an opponent in a public forum, particularly on social media.

- Everyone started to dunk on him after he posted that embarrassing photo.
- The politician's poorly researched tweet led to thousands of users dunking on him within minutes of the post going live.

Usage: Almost always used with the preposition 'on'.

### 4. basketball shot

noun · CEFR B2

a shot in basketball where the player jumps and pushes the ball down through the hoop.

For teachers: a high-percentage shot in basketball performed by jumping and powering the ball through the rim.

- His powerful dunk at the end of the game secured the victory for the team.
- The highlight reel featured a spectacular 360-degree dunk that left the commentators speechless.

## Examples

- She dunked the bread in her coffee.
- The player ran toward the basket and dunked the ball with one hand.
- As the sun set, the hiker dunked his tired feet into the icy stream to relieve the ache from the long climb.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.