as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bomb
to defeat by a large margin
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to sting
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
unwilling to let suppliers skunk him, the restaurant owner inspected every shipment before signing off on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of skunk
Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
Fortunately, skunks are not a huge problem for most homeowners.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
And the fact that he’s getting skunked on a rubberlegs stonefly nymph, which should be automatic, is troubling all three of us.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Noun
In Arizona, foxes and skunks were also a common source of rabies infections, according to NPS.
—Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
Fortunately, skunks are not a huge problem for most homeowners.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
Verb
At the diner, Case, now 54, wore a dark-blue button-down, and her predominantly gray mane was skunked with a streak of flaming auburn.
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
And the fact that he’s getting skunked on a rubberlegs stonefly nymph, which should be automatic, is troubling all three of us.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
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Responding officers found the dog, and advised the owner to take the dog in.—
cleveland,
cleveland,
13 Sep. 2023
-
Police brought in hundreds of law enforcement personnel with dogs, armored carriers, horses and helicopters that circled overhead.—
Maryclaire Dale, Marc Levy and Michael Rubinkam,
Anchorage Daily News,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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This deal also comes at a time when President Trump has become more critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to bomb Ukrainian towns and cities.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
It’s all gone wrong and the Brazilian 23-year-old has been bombed into the reserves.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
As a fighting force, Hezbollah, the most powerful of Tehran’s proxy forces since 1982, was defeated.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
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But how will the Four defeat an almost godlike being, even with their impressive superpowers?—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
The bees became aggressive and stung the man multiple times.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
9 July 2025
-
Those walking through Aurillac, a quaint French community, were stung over a 30-minute period, with three people in critical condition evacuated to a hospital.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
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The researchers used the eight components of the American Heart Association’s health-assessment tool—nutrition, physical activity, smoking abstinence, sleep, body mass index, blood lipids, blood sugar and blood pressure—to determine midlife women’s cardiovascular risk.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
29 July 2025
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Perhaps no one seemed so vulnerable as the city’s many street-food venders: on June 12th, a popular truck in East L.A., Jason’s Tacos, was abandoned, slivers of carne asada still smoking on the grill, after ICE detained several of its workers and customers, according to the owner.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Apps that teach users to master them are more likely to stay installed.—
Alex Kreger,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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And above all, which of us hasn't spent hours upon hours at the local driving range trying to master the craft that is protagonist Happy Gilmore's signature running golf swing?—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Two cars owned by Penske, were forced to start from the back of this year’s Indy 500 because of a cheating scandal.—
Bill Koenig,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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The cheating rumors were intensified online, but what is the truth?—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The early stages of a comedian’s career is about finding your clown — the core of what is funny about you — and then acclimating audiences to it.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
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There will also be a nightly circus show featuring aerialists, acrobats, clowns, jugglers and motorcycle stunt riders.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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