as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
your smelly sneakers are enough to raise the dead
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smelly
The key here is keeping the air purifier as close to the litter boxes as possible so smelly dust clouds don’t have a chance to travel.
—
Kayla Blanton, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
So, how does that translate to smelly clothing?
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
Gasoline is dirty, smelly, toxic, and environmentally reprobate.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026
This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Kayla Blanton, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
So, how does that translate to smelly clothing?
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
Gasoline is dirty, smelly, toxic, and environmentally reprobate.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026
This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelly
Adjective
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Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Freshen Cat Litter A stinky litter box does not make for a pleasant home.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
-
Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Some of my favorite things about these characters is the friendships that form separate from the romances, and that also felt ripe for TV adaptation.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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That makes the exercise ripe for the hacking.—
Jamie Ducharme,
Health,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Food that needed to be trashed for age or temperature abuse, malodorous air and filthy food containers were among the 33 violations an inspector found at a popular Miami seafood restaurant.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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Gladwin iris or roast-beef plant (Iris foetidissima) has malodorous foliage when crushed.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The ball ricocheted off Holmes’ leg into foul territory on the first-base side.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
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As for next steps in his game, Graves is trying to become a more reliable floor-spacer and perimeter defender; a monstrously high foul rate was his most notable negative during the season.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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How on Earth could this Wild team, after dominating the first period and taking a 3-0 lead with a chance to keep its season alive and force a Game 6, collapse in such an absolutely disgusting fashion?—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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Just days ago, the CDC announced that over 100 passengers and more than a dozen crew members on a different ship, the Caribbean Princess, have been infected by norovirus—a less fatal but more disgusting illness.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Inside, filthy soldiers press up against the wood.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
12 May 2026
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Baker said while Fike's immediate surroundings were filthy, a brand-new hospital bed, urinal and wheelchair were available at the home.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelly. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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