versanden
Translation
to silt up, to sand up, to peter out, to come to a standstill
Examples
Der Hafen ist langsam versandet.
The harbour has slowly silted up.
Die Diskussion ist leider versandet.
Unfortunately, the discussion just petered out.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) ((silts up/peters out)) sth. silts up / peters out Der Plan ist im Nichts versandet.
Similar Words
Synonyms: zum Erliegen kommen (to come to a standstill), einschlafen (to die down); Antonyms: florieren (to flourish)
Etymology
From the prefix 'ver-' and 'Sand' (sand). Literally means to become filled with sand, which is used figuratively to mean that something comes to a halt.
Memory Tips
Imagine a river getting filled with 'Sand' until it stops flowing ('versandet'). This applies to projects and discussions too.