Dunk On

What does it mean to dunk on someone?

Make fun of

To dunk on someone means to criticize or make fun of them. This slang phrase is meant to conjure a mental image of the dunker taking it to the hoop against the dunkee in a game of verbal basketball.

The phrase "get dunked on" entered the pop culture lexicon in 2009, after it was used in a Snickers commercial featuring basketball star Patrick Ewing. In the commercial, Ewing literally dunks on an unsuspecting Snickers lover, knocking the man (who just wanted to enjoy his candy bar) to the ground.

In the 2010s, gamers and social media users began using the phrase "get dunked on" after they humiliated an opponent or another user. Eventually, that usage morphed such that people would say they "dunked on" someone after they criticized or owned that person. While dunking on someone is similar to owning or pwning them, "dunk on" connotes an element of surprise (because the dunkee is not expecting to get dunked on) that owned or pwnd don't always convey.

Example

It's so easy to dunk on Applebee's; I don't even bother anymore
A use of "dunk on" on Twitter
A use of "dunk on" on Twitter

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Updated December 9, 2020

Dunk on definition by Slang.net

This page explains what the slang term "Dunk on" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

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