This is the 4294th most frequent Polish word.
dziękowali
"Thanked" (past tense).
Here, 'dziękowali' is used as the plural, past tense form of the verb 'dziękować', indicating the students were expressing gratitude.
Uczniowie dziękowali nauczycielowi za jego ciężką pracę.
The students were thanking the teacher for his hard work.
In this sentence, 'dziękowali' shows the action of expressing thanks by a group (the parents) for assistance.
Rodzice dziękowali sąsiadom za pomoc w przeprowadzce.
The parents were thanking the neighbors for their help with the move.
This usage of 'dziękowali' emphasizes gratitude expressed by athletes as a group towards supporters.