# sink in

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sink-in
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to gradually understand or realize the full meaning of something, especially something surprising or important.

For teachers: to be gradually understood or fully realized by the mind. This phrasal verb is intransitive and describes the cognitive process of internalizing information or the emotional weight of an event.

## Examples

- The bad news took a few minutes to sink in.
- He won the lottery yesterday, but the reality of his wealth hasn't really sunk in yet.
- It took several days for the gravity of the political shift to sink in among the local population.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I finally sank in the news." but "The news finally sank in." — the phrase is intransitive; the news is the subject that 'sinks', not the object of the verb.

## Usage notes

- usually used with 'it' or a piece of news as the subject; the person understanding is often introduced with 'to'.
- Teaching tip: use the metaphor of liquid being absorbed into a surface to help students visualize the slow process of information entering the brain.

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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.