Pronunciation: /sɪŋk ɪn/
verb to be fully understood or realized after a period of time
A1 When I first heard the news, it took a while for it to sink in.
A2 She stared at the painting, trying to let its beauty sink in.
B1 After a long day at work, it finally started to sink in how tired I was.
B2 The reality of the situation didn't sink in until much later.
C1 The magnitude of the project didn't fully sink in until we started working on it.
C2 It can be difficult for some people to let the gravity of a situation sink in.
adverb used to describe the manner in which something is fully understood or realized
A1 I explained the new concept to him, but it didn't sink in.
A2 After repeating the instructions several times, it finally started to sink in.
B1 The importance of saving money didn't sink in until she had to pay for unexpected expenses.
B2 The gravity of the situation began to sink in as they realized the extent of the damage.
C1 It took a while for the reality of the situation to sink in, but once it did, they knew they had to act quickly.
C2 The complexity of the issue began to sink in as they delved deeper into the research and data.
formal It took some time for the gravity of the situation to sink in.
informal I had to hear the news a few times for it to really sink in.
slang When she finally realized what had happened, it really started to sink in.
figurative The meaning of the poem didn't sink in until I read it a second time.
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