I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a boat sinks
▪
The boat sank in a storm.
be sunk in gloom (= feel very sad and hopeless )
▪
She made several attempts at conversation but the boy was sunk in gloom.
carbon sink
disappear/vanish/sink without (a) trace (= disappear completely, without leaving any sign of what happened )
▪
The plane vanished without a trace.
fall/drop/sink to the floor
▪
He let his cigarette fall to the floor.
kitchen sink drama
sb’s spirits sink (= they start feeling less happy )
▪
His spirits sank at the prospect.
sink your teeth into sth (= put your teeth into someone's flesh, into food etc )
▪
The dog sank its teeth into the boy's hand.
sink/fall/drop to your knees (= move so that you are kneeling )
▪
Tim fell to his knees and started to pray.
sinking fund
sink/slip/slide into oblivion (= fade into oblivion )
▪
It was once a popular game, but it has since sunk into oblivion.
▪
The old machines eventually slid into oblivion.
sink/slump/flop into a chair (= sit down in one in a tired or unhappy way )
▪
Greg groaned and sank into his chair.
sink/vanish beneath the waves
▪
The ship sank beneath the waves.
slide/slip/sink into obscurity (= fade into obscurity )
▪
Many scientific theories are never proved and slip into obscurity.
slip/lapse/fall/sink into a coma (= go into one )
▪
Brett slipped into a coma from which he never awakened.
the sun sinks (= gradually disappears at the end of the day )
▪
The sun sank lower and the breeze grew cool.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
back
▪
I sank back on the bed and started worrying about money.
▪
She sank back again on to the stair.
▪
Cantor sank back in his seat and stared straight ahead through the windshield.
▪
She pushed his shoulder and he sank back against the pillows and closed his eyes.
▪
Then she sank back to her morphine dream.
▪
A few more skulls and monsters groaned their way into visibility and then sank back gratefully into unemployment.
deep
▪
I waited until the fellow turned his back, charged and felt my sword sink deep into his exposed shoulder.
▪
Kiss her and your lips sink deep into her cheeks.
▪
And the Plague's teeth were sunk deep into the remaining members of the community.
▪
She sank deep down again, unable to stay alert, and saw without wanting to a giant Catherine-wheel in the sky.
▪
But down on his belly; soon, his hands were sunk deep in banknotes.
▪
Their eyes were smaller than the males', sunk deep below forehead ridges of vine.
▪
Nevertheless, his cruel words had sunk deep , hitting right at the very heart of her.
▪
Her face was no longer white, but pink, although her eyes were sunk deep still, deep and dark.
deeper
▪
The thought of revenge was tempting, though ... Angel One sank deeper into the luxurious heat of the steaming water.
▪
Shifting to drive, she gunned the engine, and the wheels sank deeper .
▪
Shuffling beside the rough stones I sank deeper into my misery.
▪
Ah, but as the bell sank deeper , the pressure of the air in her grew.
down
▪
As soon as they try to see Agnes's mind it sinks down and up pops Perdita like a seesaw.
▪
Blackpool are riding high in Division Four, while United have slowly sunk down the table.
▪
The big patrol boat cut its engines as it drew level, and the grey-painted military hull sank down into the water.
▪
He sank down on to an unopened packing-case.
▪
A heavy silence sank down on them.
▪
The suggestions of heaviness, reference to lead weights, and the body sinking down under this weight continue throughout the procedure.
▪
When life sank down for a moment, the range of experience seemed limitless ....
fast
▪
As it is, our reputation is sinking fast in the west.
▪
I was sinking fast in the mire of soft money.
▪
Despite pulling the elevator back and the aeroplane changing attitude, it carried on, sinking fast .
▪
With his credit card statements no longer cushioned by company expenses, John found himself sinking fast in financial quicksand.
▪
Mary is also sinking fast , now at the stage of complete alienation from her family.
in
▪
As that fact sank in , more and more people thought of de Gaulle as a potential last resort.
▪
There were other animals that had left tracks on top of the snow, not sinking in at all.
▪
I made him repeat and repeat the lessons until they started to sink in and became easier.
▪
And that news is finally starting to sink in .
▪
If the message didn't sink in on a Sunday a range of weeknight meetings reinforced it.
▪
Some one who gives you advice that you don't want to hear, but it sinks in anyway.
▪
She walked out on to it, her boots sinking in with each step, and left the Katz Motel behind her.
▪
It was in the mid 1840s that the full implications of the potential for the new transport system sank in.
slowly
▪
She was sinking slowly into it.
▪
A car has driven off the small bridge and is slowly sinking in the river.
▪
She dropped her robe on to the stool near by and stepped into the water, sinking slowly down into the warmth.
▪
The sun, a red wheel, was sinking slowly in the west.
▪
Blackpool are riding high in Division Four, while United have slowly sunk down the table.
▪
And so each carboy slowly sank , unnoticed by him.
▪
Its corpse lay at her feet, slowly sinking into the moss and mud.
▪
When the straw soaks up water, the boats slowly sink into the ocean.
to
▪
The marsh was not like water, and the car didn't sink to . he bottom.
▪
I think they sink to as low as they can.
▪
Volume levels sank to below 500 million.
▪
At its best, R Cygni can reach magnitude 6.5, but at minimum it sinks to below 14.
■ NOUN
bed
▪
I sank back on the bed and started worrying about money.
▪
She sank down on the bed with the photograph gripped so tightly in her hands that the paper buckled.
▪
Then she kicked it away and sank on to the bed covering her face with her hands.
▪
She sank on to the bed and closed her eyes, ideas racing through her mind.
▪
Claudia sank down on to her bed and tried to shut her ears to the sound of him in the next room.
▪
Then he lay down on her, his weight sinking her in the bed as if in sand.
▪
He sank on his bed , shaking with great dry sobs.
boat
▪
One of the boats sank after gas cylinders inside exploded.The other was completely burned out.Richard Barnet reports.
▪
Naturally this started everyone wondering about the amount the boat had sunk , and trying to remember the previous watermarks.
▪
Not only that, but his boat was sinking .
▪
The economic tides could rise yet most boats could sink .
▪
When the straw soaks up water, the boats slowly sink into the ocean.
▪
Programme lunch 4.11.93 A fishing boat has sunk overnight in the north sea.
▪
At the height of the storm his boat was shattered and sank , but he succeeded in swimming to shore.
bottom
▪
It was wrapped in netting and sunk to the bottom .
▪
While it was on top, it lost some of the bubbles and sank to the bottom again.
▪
Clamp it between the two parts of an algae magnet and sink it to the bottom of the tank.
▪
You bring the papers up, but the next day they sink to the bottom again.
▪
During dry periods the water evaporates, and the gypsum sinks to the lake bottom .
▪
He might have sunk to the moss-covered bottom of a clear pond where he was resting like a leaf.
▪
Then he was in the hold, chilly waters around his knees as he sank through the bottom of the boat itself.
▪
There was a time I went down like a stone in a pond and sank clear to the bottom .
chair
▪
She returned to her seat and he sank languidly into the chair opposite.
▪
Marge felt herself sinking into the chair she sat in.
▪
When she was free she took him into the office and sank into a chair as though exhausted.
▪
Helen sank down in a chair and waited for her father, who had been due back hours earlier.
▪
Leith sank down into a chair the moment the outer door had closed behind him and discovered that she was trembling.
▪
She went into the drawing-room and sank down into a chair .
▪
He sank into his chair and tried to compose himself.
▪
He sank back into his chair as Pyke and I walked away from the table, and tossed the whisky down his throat.
floor
▪
Marian wanted to sink to the floor and sleep.
▪
Clarence sank to the floor and rested his head against her knees.
▪
Piper O'Rourke sank to the floor , her chest heaving, unable to draw breath.
▪
He sank to the floor exhausted.
▪
But as they sank to the floor , naturally, Jay sensed a tension in Lucy.
▪
So then he sank on to the floor , to make himself as small as possible so that he could wait out the agony.
▪
He fell sharply through the space of the cabin, and was sinking again through its floor .
▪
Left and right hooks followed each other until the frightened tailor sank to the floor .
foot
▪
The moment they stepped on to the moor itself their feet sank almost to the ankle.
▪
Finally she snuck around to the front of the house, feet sinking in the soft dirt.
▪
She saw feet sinking into the thick pile of the new rugs whose abstract patterns evoked the work of contemporary artists.
▪
There was a layer of fine dust: Your feet sank into 3 inches of fine powder, and it was everywhere.
▪
His foot hit home, sinking deep into the little man's belly.
▪
My feet are sinking through the light crust.
▪
Its corpse lay at her feet , slowly sinking into the moss and mud.
ground
▪
The move completed, Paige sank to the ground and rested her head back against the rising bulk of a tree.
▪
Now the tunneling goes by, and my building starts cracking and sinking into the ground .
▪
The insidious cold was once more creeping over George and he sank to the ground benumbed and unwilling to make an effort.
▪
Procris was there and she sank to the ground dead, pierced to the heart.
▪
As we explored the roofless shells of the other buildings we remarked on the way each dwelling was sunk into the ground .
▪
Without warning, the entire Oval Office began whirring and clicking and started to sink beneath the ground .
▪
There are many things to think about before even the first tentative daffodil bulb is sunk into the ground .
▪
Permafrost restricts drainage; melt-water can not sink into the ground and in summer the thin active layer soon becomes waterlogged.
head
▪
Their heads sunk in the feathers against the cold.
▪
I playfully tickled him behind an ear and he lazily turned his head and sank a canine into my thumb.
▪
The Robemaker was standing with his head bowed, sunk in thought.
▪
She simply sat there, her head sunk down.
▪
Her head sank on to her chin and a kind of blank look misted over her eyes.
▪
Her shoulders sank , her head sank.
▪
His head sank through the rough, barnacled wood.
heart
▪
Honor thought she was the most exquisite girl she had ever seen and her heart sank lower than ever.
▪
There was something about a telegram, I got that much, and my heart sank .
▪
As she managed to peer round it her heart sank .
▪
When I first walked on to the base my heart sank .
▪
My heart sank as I looked around.
▪
When he read that, his heart sank .
▪
My heart sank and numbness took over.
▪
But when I saw him, my heart sank .
knee
▪
Then the red mists cleared and she sank to her knees , picking up the pieces, moaning softly.
▪
As the pilgrims passed, peasants who had gathered from the countryside sank to their knees .
▪
Monsignor Delgard sank to his knees , one hand still grasping the top of the lectern.
▪
I dropped my glove and sank to my knees .
▪
He sank to his knees , more from shock than pain.
▪
When the nail finally pulled free, I sank to my knees .
▪
Then she realized she'd forgotten to kneel down when she came in, and blushing, sank to her knees .
▪
With a cry of despair, Ronni sank to her knees and collapsed into tears.
level
▪
And all heard single pure sounds, of varying pitch, that swiftly sank below the level of hearing.
▪
The judge said it had sunk below a sensible level .
▪
Betas must so live, learn, and work that we shall not sink to the cultural level of the Alphas.
▪
But whatever she is guilty of ... she can never sink to your level .
▪
It had sunk to the level of palm-reading.
oblivion
▪
Curling up beneath the window she sank into gorgeous oblivion .
▪
So should we let them sink into oblivion and folklore?
▪
Its decrees sank immediately into oblivion .
▪
Anton Flettner's way of extracting power from the wind presents too many advantages to sink into oblivion .
putt
▪
I just had to sink that last putt .
▪
At last we'd sunk a decent putt .
▪
Background does not come into I wasn't sorry when Steve finally sunk his putt on the eighteenth green.
sea
▪
At last the sun sank into the sea and night arose.
▪
Subsequently, the land sank again, seas flooded back and deposition restarted.
▪
The draining of mental and physical strength which might come from fighting and sinking in a wild sea , physically and spiritually.
seat
▪
She sank back in her seat .
▪
Ritchie passed him the joint, sinking into his seat and exhaling as if trying to calm down.
▪
Schumacher sank back in his seat and downed the tumbler of whisky which had appeared at his side.
▪
Cantor sank back in his seat and stared straight ahead through the windshield.
▪
We sank low in our seats during the week that the people from the equity department spoke.
ship
▪
It was also revealed that Captain Vassilis Yannakis had been in command of at least one other ship that sank .
▪
Jim was not the only white officer on the Patna who deserted the passengers when it seemed that the ship was sinking .
▪
The last ship was sunk five years eight months and four days later.
▪
One day catastrophe hit: His house burned down and all his ships either sank or were captured by pirates.
▪
They have met, and your ships have sunk .
▪
He said seven people drowned when the ship sank while Cermeno and about 80 passengers and crew members watched helplessly from shore.
▪
The news of the fall of Le Mans had convinced him that his father's ship was sinking .
▪
Her name was on his lips when the ship sank and the waters closed over him.
stone
▪
Tears of outrage stung his eyes, and something deeper than humiliation sank like a stone into the pit of his stomach.
▪
In the end, though, it all sank like a stone , save in untypical Essex.
▪
My heart and spirits sank like a stone in a lake.
sun
▪
Then the Sun sank below the rings, so that they framed it with their arches, and the celestial fireworks ceased.
▪
That evening, as the sun sank over the marsh and the sea an odd group gathered in the dusk.
▪
At last the sun sank into the sea and night arose.
▪
The sun was sinking in a red glow, the lights were coming out in Eldercombe Village.
▪
The sun was just sinking behind the dark mountains.
▪
In one dip in the mountains, where the sun has just sunk , there is a red volcanic brilliance.
▪
The second glass arrives as the sun begins to sink .
trace
▪
Early attempts - including putting a ping-pong ball inside a soap bar - sank without trace .
▪
Now that has all been sunk without trace .
▪
Then the shipyards sank without trace , and it was three years on the dole.
▪
But unlike the Titanic, the story of the Tek Sing and its passengers sank without trace .
▪
If he possessed mind-reading powers, she was sunk without a trace .
▪
It was even tried years ago by Olivetti among others, but those products sank without trace .
▪
Seven singles were to be released from the album, all sinking without a trace .
water
▪
She dropped her robe on to the stool near by and stepped into the water , sinking slowly down into the warmth.
▪
And then together, with no warning but carefully, not even rippling the water , they sank .
▪
Many plastics float in water , others sink only slowly when submerged.
▪
The gleam of the candle was clearly visible through the water as the device sank .
well
▪
The group sunk its first exploratory well in late 1987, and work proceeded rapidly.
■ VERB
begin
▪
Ship rescue: Firemen raced to the fish quay in Hartlepool early yesterday after a trawler began to sink .
▪
Its nose went clear to the ground, it shuddered and began to sink .
▪
I couldn't understand what was happening to me and I began to sink deeper and deeper into the pit.
▪
But back in Villa Volkov that night, we began to sink into gloom.
▪
Then they reached the top, the tractor could go no higher, the wheels began to sink .
▪
The importance of that change began to sink in last week.
▪
As the final starbursts exploded above the ferry, the fishing boat was set alight and slowly began to sink .
▪
The second glass arrives as the sun begins to sink .
feel
▪
Lily felt the bed sink as he moved over her.
▪
Marge felt herself sinking into the chair she sat in.
▪
I waited until the fellow turned his back, charged and felt my sword sink deep into his exposed shoulder.
▪
He felt himself sinking into the mud.
▪
Gerald Hussey saw his wife looking at him in triumph and felt his heart sink .
▪
But this was mid-February, and he felt the cold sinking to his ankles as he left the house alone.
▪
Paul felt his heart sink at the sight of them.
▪
I trod on the moist snow and felt myself sinking into Nirvana.
let
▪
He paused to let the demonstration sink in.
▪
She lets her hands sink in the green pond and weave with the water movement.
▪
So should we let them sink into oblivion and folklore?
▪
They'd let them sink down to the bottom and drift there with the long-haired weeds -.
start
▪
I made him repeat and repeat the lessons until they started to sink in and became easier.
▪
Now the tunneling goes by, and my building starts cracking and sinking into the ground.
▪
The sun has started to sink behind the trees now and it's growing cold.
▪
Without warning, the entire Oval Office began whirring and clicking and started to sink beneath the ground.
▪
If you start to sink at Williams, don't expect too many helping hands from the shore.
▪
And that news is finally starting to sink in.
▪
A cross word, a careless omission and the ground beneath our feet turns to quick sand and we start to sink .
▪
The chutes had collapsed across the casing, and already it was starting to sink .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(like) rats leaving the sinking ship
descend/sink to sb's level
▪
Betas must so live, learn, and work that we shall not sink to the cultural level of the Alphas.
▪
But soon after that he descended to an unreachable level .
▪
But whatever she is guilty of ... she can never sink to your level .
▪
Flying over Normandy he descended to ground level to escape the fog and to find his bearings.
▪
However, it is important that we do not descend to their level .
▪
If I use violence I descend to his level .
▪
In particular, coal stocks had sunk to a level below that at which distribution and use could operate efficiently.
▪
Otherwise nothing useful will be achieved and, instead of debate, we shall descend to the level of vulgar slanging matches.
desk/car/sink tidy
everything but the kitchen sink
▪
Burglars broke in and took everything but the kitchen sink.
▪
When my parents come to stay with us, they bring everything but the kitchen sink!
▪
Aunt Hortense: Babsy Hepworth's bronzes, everything but the kitchen sink.
everything but the kitchen sink
▪
Aunt Hortense: Babsy Hepworth's bronzes, everything but the kitchen sink.
sb's heart sinks
▪
My heart just sank when I read Patty's letter.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
As the sun sank lower and lower, the sky first turned pink and then orange.
▪
Fortunately, the sinking barge did not leak any fuel into the harbor.
▪
Gradually, the sun sank below the horizon.
▪
Hundreds of passengers tried desperately to escape from the boat as it sank.
▪
One battleship was sunk and two were badly damaged in last night's fighting.
▪
Pierce sank a 3-point basket two minutes into the game.
▪
She couldn't stand the poverty, seeing people sinking lower and lower, with no ambition.
▪
Submarines were used to sink the enemy's supply ships.
▪
The building's foundations have sunk several inches in recent years.
▪
The first exploratory oil well was sunk in late 1987.
▪
The guns sank deeper and deeper into the mud.
▪
The kids watched as the coin sank to the bottom of the pool.
▪
The price of crude oil could sink even further.
▪
The stock index had sunk 197.92 points by midday.
▪
The sun sank and darkness fell on the island.
▪
There was a sucking noise, and then the branch sank without trace.
▪
Three ships were sunk that night by enemy torpedoes.
▪
With the car sinking into a marsh, there wasn't a moment to spare.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
His heart sank the way it always did when she left him.
▪
Jane put it in and of course it sank.
▪
Kiss her and your lips sink deep into her cheeks.
▪
She sank back again on to the stair.
▪
The kid sank weakly, almost to the ground, grimacing, but did not say a word.
▪
The unsinkable had sunk, and taken with it half of its passengers and crew.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
stainless
▪
Inset single drainer stainless steel sink unit with mixer taps over.
▪
Single drainer stainless steel sink unit with mixer taps and window to side aspect.
▪
Single drainer stainless steel sink unit with drawer and cupboard under.
■ NOUN
kitchen
▪
She was in the middle of wringing the water out of a red rayon skirt she had been washing at the kitchen sink .
▪
Karen was at the kitchen sink .
▪
Both had wash-basins, one of which could be changed to a kitchen sink .
▪
Clean kitchen sink and wipe range surfaces, including the microwave.
▪
Aunt Hortense: Babsy Hepworth's bronzes, everything but the kitchen sink .
▪
What comes next, the kitchen sink ?
▪
The baths, kitchen sink and children's wash basin have conventionally sized traps and wastes.
▪
Washed his face and hands in the kitchen sink , threw away the name of the shipyard foreman.
unit
▪
The cherry red formica-faced sink unit had been given a wash down.
▪
Inset single drainer stainless steel sink unit with mixer taps over.
▪
Kirov felt it with his fingertips and rapped his knuckles against the main body of the sink unit .
▪
Single drainer stainless steel sink unit with mixer taps and window to side aspect.
▪
Single drainer stainless steel sink unit with drawer and cupboard under.
▪
Trapeze sink unit , £3,897 Elegant glossy white units are interspersed with slimline cupboards in light ash.
■ VERB
pour
▪
Whatever the business at hand was, he got on with it, rather as if you poured Draino into a sink .
▪
She stood behind the china cabinet and watched as he poured it down the sink .
▪
Incidence is analogous to water pouring into a sink and outcidence is analogous to water leaving the sink via the plughole.
▪
If it was in a medicine bottle they would pour it down the sink !
put
▪
Well, take your plate into the kitchen and put it into the sink .
▪
For example, she advised Julie to put a small utility sink in the angled island unit.
▪
The other glass, which I guessed had been the constable's, he put in the sink .
▪
Irina picked up some plates from the table and put them in the sink .
▪
I was even planning to find a little electric water-heater to put over the sink .
stand
▪
He ate it standing up by the sink , and deliberately left the little pot on the marble work surface.
▪
He stood at the sink , left shirtsleeve rolled up.
▪
Constance stood awkwardly by the sink .
▪
He stood by the sink , unaware that he was holding his breath.
▪
He took a comb from the pocket of his suit and stood at the sink .
▪
As I was standing before the sink ,, I heard Edusha singing a recently popular song.
▪
She stood at the sink , running the tap to get a glass of cold water and he stood behind her.
▪
He stood at the sink , washing the supper dishes, consumed with plans for her happiness.
wash
▪
She was in the middle of wringing the water out of a red rayon skirt she had been washing at the kitchen sink .
▪
This was a concoction one would throw out in chemistry lab or wash the sinks with after a failed experiment.
▪
He put on his shirt and suggested she should wash herself at the sink .
▪
Take them home and wash them in the sink to bring out their richest color.
▪
They had muddy boots which they kicked against the kitchen step, and muddy hands which they washed at the sink .
▪
You have the choice of cleaning the Discs in position or removing them to wash in the sink .
▪
When she was finished there she hurried back to the kitchen where she washed herself at the sink .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
descend/sink to sb's level
▪
Betas must so live, learn, and work that we shall not sink to the cultural level of the Alphas.
▪
But soon after that he descended to an unreachable level .
▪
But whatever she is guilty of ... she can never sink to your level .
▪
Flying over Normandy he descended to ground level to escape the fog and to find his bearings.
▪
However, it is important that we do not descend to their level .
▪
If I use violence I descend to his level .
▪
In particular, coal stocks had sunk to a level below that at which distribution and use could operate efficiently.
▪
Otherwise nothing useful will be achieved and, instead of debate, we shall descend to the level of vulgar slanging matches.
desk/car/sink tidy
everything but the kitchen sink
▪
Burglars broke in and took everything but the kitchen sink.
▪
When my parents come to stay with us, they bring everything but the kitchen sink!
▪
Aunt Hortense: Babsy Hepworth's bronzes, everything but the kitchen sink.
everything but the kitchen sink
▪
Aunt Hortense: Babsy Hepworth's bronzes, everything but the kitchen sink.
sb's heart sinks
▪
My heart just sank when I read Patty's letter.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Except it was under the sink , I believe.
▪
She was in the middle of wringing the water out of a red rayon skirt she had been washing at the kitchen sink .
▪
The cherry red formica-faced sink unit had been given a wash down.
▪
The kitchen was like a big utility room with a huge sink , a stone floor, and a large wooden table.
▪
The sweaters hung beneath the open hatch, the sink was empty and the oilskins stowed away.
▪
There was a stainless-steel sink , and a mirrored medicine cabinet.
III. adjective
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
He swam away from the sinking ship.