1
2
: any of several large petrels that have an offensive odor
3
slang
: something extremely difficult
the examination was a real stinker
Examples of stinker in a Sentence
He is a dirty little stinker.
a real stinker of a performance
Recent Examples on the Web
In the 16 games before a total stinker against the Houston Rockets, Sarr averaged nearly 15 points, seven rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, 43 percent from 3 on nearly five attempts per contest and 61 percent from the line.
—
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Except for a few stinkers, Pixar has rarely made a truly bad movie.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 26 June 2025
The, ahem, sober, clinical diagnosis of what happened in Game 5 is that the Pacers, generally, didn’t play well (which will be dissected elsewhere at The Athletic), and specifically Haliburton turned in a stinker — which happens from time to time with him.
—Sam Settleman, New York Times, 31 May 2025
The Wolves have delivered two stinkers, in Game 2 against the Lakers and in Game 1 of the conference semifinals last Tuesday.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stinker
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Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Except for a few stinkers, Pixar has rarely made a truly bad movie.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 26 June 2025
The, ahem, sober, clinical diagnosis of what happened in Game 5 is that the Pacers, generally, didn’t play well (which will be dissected elsewhere at The Athletic), and specifically Haliburton turned in a stinker — which happens from time to time with him.
—Sam Settleman, New York Times, 31 May 2025
The Wolves have delivered two stinkers, in Game 2 against the Lakers and in Game 1 of the conference semifinals last Tuesday.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stinker
Cite this Entry
“Stinker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stinker. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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