as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
I would rather not be the one to wash your reeking gym clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reeking
Maggie Slepian,
Longreads,
14 May 2026
And the smell is soft and pleasant, instead of reeking of alcohol.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Following the opening verse with the characterization of his lady’s eyes, Shakespeare proceeded to give a rundown of her other features in less than flattering terms, including her lips (pale), hair (wiry), voice (grating) and breath (reeking).
—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Once Catalina was asleep, Pedro tossed his backpack, reeking of the day’s clothes, into the bedroom.
—
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
When he was lugged in Saugus in 2011, reeking of cheap domestic lager, he was first told to turn off the engine in his unmarked MSP Crown Vic.
—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
Today, a checkerboard of subdivisions crosses east to west, and the remaining grasslands are buried each day under reeking asphalt and rolls of turfgrass.
—
Maggie Slepian,
Longreads,
14 May 2026
And the smell is soft and pleasant, instead of reeking of alcohol.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Following the opening verse with the characterization of his lady’s eyes, Shakespeare proceeded to give a rundown of her other features in less than flattering terms, including her lips (pale), hair (wiry), voice (grating) and breath (reeking).
—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Once Catalina was asleep, Pedro tossed his backpack, reeking of the day’s clothes, into the bedroom.
—
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
When he was lugged in Saugus in 2011, reeking of cheap domestic lager, he was first told to turn off the engine in his unmarked MSP Crown Vic.
—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeking
Adjective
-
America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
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America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
Verb
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The things that are important to me—taking care of myself, skincare, grooming, hygiene, smelling good, being clean—have always been high priorities.
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Additionally, avoid storing near strongly smelling foods to keep your cheese from absorbing flavors or odors, and always label and date to keep track of the use by date.
Adjective
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Not only is Earth's closest celestial neighbor a pristine time capsule ripe for study – preserved almost unaltered throughout the course of billions of years – but the moon is viewed as a stepping stone for human exploration deeper into the cosmos.
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Alongside ripe avocados, fresh tomatoes, and spices, this dip is topped with queso blanco and pomegranate seeds.
Adjective
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The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.
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The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.
Adjective
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Skunks can cause anxiety in homeowners by harming lawns and possibly threatening Rover with their malodorous defenses.
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Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.
Adjective
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Human remains were found in the chimney of a public school in Queens, New York, on Tuesday morning while officials were investigating a foul odor, according to police.
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While some of the Dutch pleaded for a foul, Gakpo raced in to score on the rebound.
Adjective
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During hot weather, if your trash often contains wet food scraps that quickly become smelly, like vegetable peels, produce, leftovers, meat, or fish, clean the bin every two weeks.
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Dispose of any smelly garbage or sticky residues, as these can attract flies and ants.
Adjective
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Margera tried to soothe the pain by submerging his fresh brand in a tub of filthy farm water, which resulted in a life-threatening staph infection that landed him in the hospital.
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Outside the Lineage warehouse Thursday morning, the smell of heavy smoke was already being replaced with that of spoiling food and filthy water.
Cite this Entry
“Reeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeking. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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