the stench of rotting meat
we finally discovered the dead rat that was causing the stench in the basement
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The thick stench of jet fuel hung in the air as crews combed the wreckage for possible clues to the cause of the crash.—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 23 May 2025 Scented products like air fresheners often used in cars release many of the same volatile organic compounds to mask lingering stench — all in a relatively smaller area than your average home.—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025 For all the waxy stories of tournament winners overcoming this or proving that, so many others out there are in the stench.—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 21 May 2025 Luckily, the experience trumped inhaling the intense stench, which eventually subsided.—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for stench
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English stenc; akin to Old English stincan to emit a smell — more at stink
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of stench was
before the 12th century
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