dunk
word
Definition
To quickly dip something into a liquid, usually food; also, in basketball, to score by forcefully putting the ball directly through the hoop with one or both hands.
Usage & Nuances
Informal for food; common with 'dunk a cookie/biscuit' in coffee or milk. In sports, used for a slam dunk in basketball. Rarely used outside these contexts. 'Dunk' is not for deep or slow soaking—use 'soak' instead. As a noun, it usually refers to the basketball move.
Example Sentences
Please dunk your paintbrush in water before starting.
basic
He pulled off an amazing dunk in the last seconds of the game.
natural
"Did you see that? He just dunked right over the defender!"
natural
He likes to dunk his cookies in milk.
basic
Can you dunk the ball in basketball?
basic
I like to dunk my fries in ketchup before eating them.
natural