tanking

Pluraltankings (some meanings)

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of tank.

   Critics worried the economy was tanking despite official reassurances.

   Fans accused the team of tanking to secure a better draft pick.

   Note

   One spelling serves many verbs. The -ing form carries whichever sense of tank is in play, from a market that is plummeting to a gamer who draws enemy fire so teammates can finish the job. The fueling sense takes an object (tanking fuel aboard). The others usually stand alone (the economy is tanking). When a team loses on purpose, the gerund shades into the sports noun, which names the practice itself.

2. 2
   noununcountable

   The deliberate throwing of a game or match, done to secure some perceived future competitive advantage.

   Like a chess player sacrificing a piece to gain a stronger position overall.

   League officials launched an investigation into tanking during the final weeks of the season.

   The franchise's blatant tanking drew fines and heavy public criticism.

   Note

   Sports talk turns the verb into a name for a strategy. A team caught tanking is losing now in the hope of winning later, for instance by securing a better draft pick. The motive separates it from an ordinary bad run: the advantage sought is the team's own, and it is competitive. The word usually turns up as a charge, in phrases like accused of tanking or blatant tanking.

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A single session spent immersed in a tank, such as a float tank used for relaxation.

   Like a spa session, except you float weightless in still, warm water.

   After a long week, a single tanking in the float pod helped her unwind.

   The therapist recommended weekly tankings for stress relief.

   Similarfloat

   Note

   Clinical writing uses the word for therapeutic immersion as well as relaxation. The Virginia Medical Quarterly of 1993 describes burn-center care "with daily tankings." The noun counts easily, like session or treatment: a tanking, daily tankings, weekly tankings. In a medical context, read it as a scheduled part of care rather than a spa visit.

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