1
general::
Phrase(s): sink something in(to) someone or something [and] sink something in
1. Lit. to drive or push something into someone or something. • The brave hero sank the wooden stake into the vampire. • The hero sank in the stake. 2. Fig. to invest time or money in someone or something. (Sometimes implying that it was wasted.) • You would not believe how much money I’ve sunk into that company! • She sank in a lot of money, but it was all wasted., Phrase(s): sink in
1. Lit. to sink, submerge, or descend into something. • How long will it take the water to sink in? • It might take days for the oil to sink in, so you have time to clean it up. 2. Fig. [for knowledge] to be understood. • I heard what you said, but it took a while for it to sink in. • I pay careful attention to everything I hear in calculus class, but it usually doesn’t sink in.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Penetrate the mind, be absorbed, as in The news of the crash didn't sink in right away. [Late 1300s]
American Heritage Idioms