1 B2 idiomatic informal
To publicly humiliate or embarrass someone with a clever, decisive, or witty response, especially on social media.
"She completely dunked on him in the comments with one well-placed quote."
inseparable
dunk on
B2 informal inseparable transitive
To publicly humiliate, defeat decisively, or make fun of someone, especially in a clever or dramatic way; derived from basketball dunking.
In plain English
To make someone look really foolish or stupid in front of other people, usually in an argument or competition.
What does "dunk on" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To defeat or outperform someone so decisively that it becomes humiliating for them.
"The rookie dunked on the veteran in every drill at training camp."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
In basketball, to dunk over a defender is to score dramatically despite their presence — humiliating them.
Actually means
To make someone look really foolish or stupid in front of other people, usually in an argument or competition.
Usage tip
Originated in basketball (to dunk over a defender) and has spread widely into internet and social media culture. Very common in online discourse, particularly Twitter/X. More common among younger speakers. Chiefly American English but internationally understood in online contexts.
Words that pair with "dunk on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
opponent critics Twitter debate argument rivals
How to conjugate "dunk on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dunk on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dunks on
he/she/it
Past simple
dunked on
yesterday
Past participle
dunked on
have + pp
-ing form
dunking on
continuous
Hear "dunk on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dunk on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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