What Is The 'Let That Sink In' Meme? The Meaning Of The Viral Pun Explained

For the past decade, a reaction image and series of memes known as "Let That Sink In" have been popping up across social media. The memes, which typically feature an actual sink walking into a house, are based on a widely used pun and they've even been shared by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

But where did the meme start and what does it mean? Here's what you need to know about the history behind "Let That Sink In" and how it carved out a spot in internet culture.

What Is The 'Let That Sink In' Meme?

Before becoming a meme, "let that sink in" was and still is a commonly used catchphrase and expression. The phrase is used to tell someone to take their time and process a piece of information until you really understand it. But then, in 2014, the phrase took on a much more literal meaning thanks to Tumblr user dutchster.

That March, Tumblr user worldpeaces posted, "Can we just take a second to realize that there are 14 year olds that weren't born in the 90s. Just let that sink in." Dutchster responded to the post with an image of a sink standing in a doorway, writing, "what the f--- does he want now?"

The joke takes the phrase "let that sink in" and interprets it as an actual request for someone to let a sink into a house.

How Is 'Let That Sink In' Used In Memes?

The meme began to spread across social media throughout the 2020s on sites like X and Reddit. The joke is often shared as an intentionally corny pun and is frequently used as a reaction image when people post "let that sink in," and it has been turned into countless image macros depicting a sink standing at a doorway as if wanting to come inside over the years.

In 2022, the meme hit somewhat of a peak in awareness when Elon Musk bought Twitter, now called X. To celebrate the occasion, Musk posted a video on X carrying a sink into the company's headquarters, captioning the post, "Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!" Whether or not you find that funny or cringe is entirely up to you.

For the full history of let that sink in, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.