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
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Recent Examples of skunk
Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Some owls will hunt the wildlife that raids our garbage cans, like skunks and opossums.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
Sam had a sudden flash of some decades old cartoon, an anthropomorphized rabbit or skunk with its jaw dropped, a foghorn like awooga accompanying the lolling of its cartoonishly long tongue.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Noun
Thiols are responsible for the distinctive aromas of skunk spray and ripe durian; they’re also added to natural gas to provide a detectable rotten-egg smell at even trace levels.
—Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Some owls will hunt the wildlife that raids our garbage cans, like skunks and opossums.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
The party got skunked in every battleground state and lost the popular vote for the first time in 20 years.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
Sam had a sudden flash of some decades old cartoon, an anthropomorphized rabbit or skunk with its jaw dropped, a foghorn like awooga accompanying the lolling of its cartoonishly long tongue.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
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Small dogs aren’t always cheaper — a Chihuahua costs nearly $29,649.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
9 Feb. 2026
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The ad oozes cuteness, featuring an adorable baby, a charming house and a faithful family dog.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Iran has been refusing requests by the agency to inspect the sites bombed in the June war.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Such joint ventures could allow Ukraine to produce more of its weapons elsewhere in Europe, ensuring stability of supply if factories inside Ukraine get bombed.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Magic rallied from 17 points down to win 120-117, but the Jazz defeated the Heat 115-111.—
Mark Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Cyclones, who are 13-0 at Hilton Coliseum this season, have defeated the Jayhawks three straight years in the building.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the days following a second consecutive season without making the playoffs, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, in a walk-off interview with local reporters after the final news conference of the season, admitted that the loss of one player stung significantly.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Steve died in 2006 after being stung by a stingray at the Batt Reef off the coast of Australia.—
Janelle Ash , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meth users, for instance, typically smoke the drug, and commingling pipes with people who use fentanyl risks meth users overdosing after unwittingly smoking leftover fentanyl residue.—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 Feb. 2026
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By the end of High Maintenance’s run, Sinclair was smoking mostly by himself.—
Ezra Marcus,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Liu skated on, mastering her jumps and repeating as national champion in 2020, though age restrictions prevented her from entering international competitions.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Amy Tan has mastered the art of mother-daughter literature.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Over the past year, men’s ski jumping has been marred by Norway’s cheating scandal and more recent genital manipulation rumors, which has become one of the early commotions of the Milano-Cortina Games.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Among the reasons Belichick was not inducted are his involvement in cheating scandals, such as Spygate and Deflategate, according to ESPN.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The judge in front of me spent most of the time looking at the ground, leading ace AP boxing writer Ed Schuyler to write an entire story about the clown.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Deep cherry red, black, and white come together to create a whimsical world of dice, cards, sad clowns, and a ticking pocketwatch.—
Samantha Brash,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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