1
: to emit a strong offensive odor
stank of urine
2
: to be offensive
the election stank of corruption
also
: to be in bad repute
3
: to possess something to an offensive degree
stinking with wealth
4
: to be extremely bad or unpleasant
the performance stank
that news really stinks
Examples of stink in a Sentence
Verb
The food is good at that restaurant, but the service stinks.
Having a root canal stinks.
Noun
People raised a stink about the new law.
He kicked up a stink about the way he'd been treated.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
The Bears usually stink at home and provide little to no fan amenities for an overall negative experience.
—Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
Jalisco managed to be both underwater and, in one area, covered in stink.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stink
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Verb
Owners know their franchise valuation will go up, even if their teams stink.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
The Bears usually stink at home and provide little to no fan amenities for an overall negative experience.
—Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
The opening in the floor was gone, but the stink remained.
—Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
Jalisco managed to be both underwater and, in one area, covered in stink.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stink
Cite this Entry
“Stink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stink. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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