stink bug
noun
variants
or stinkbug
plural stink bugs or stinkbugs
: any of various hemipterous bugs (family Pentatomidae) that have a flattened, shield-shaped body with a triangular scutellum, emit a disagreeable odor when threatened, disturbed, or crushed, and include agricultural and household pests
The Maryland organic farmer is suffering from an infestation of stink bugs—crop-consuming pests emitting the odor of cilantro mixed with burned rubber and dirty socks.—
Heather Haddon
Heather Haddon… Jay McPherson of nearby Southern Illinois University has recorded fifty kinds of stinkbugs from the Pine Hills; possibly the region now deserves the unenviable title of "Stinkbug Capital of the World."—Robert H. Mohlenbrock
Robert H. MohlenbrockExamples of stink bug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All stages of stink bugs can damage plants and fruit.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 June 2025
Cicadas belong to the order Hemiptera, the same one that includes stink bugs, bed bugs, aphids and cicada families, according to Cicada Safari, a research group that crowdsources cicada data and sightings.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 June 2025
Though the drone captured 2,459 total images, only 402 of those actually included stink bugs in them.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 June 2024
They are sometimes mistakenly associated with locusts, like grasshoppers, but cicadas are actually an entirely different sort of insect, part of the same family as stink bugs and bedbugs.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
Cicadas are a type of insect, related to stink bugs, bed buds and aphids.
—Taylor Johnston, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2025
Here’s how to get rid of pesky stink bugs
The stink bug, a native insect of Asia, has recently become a steady presence in North America.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
Get rid of the stink bugs inside your house
Even with all these precautions, stink bugs are going to find a way inside your home.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
Cicadas are part of the hemiptera order, the same group that includes stink bugs, bed bugs, aphids and cicada families, Kritsky said.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
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Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 June 2025
Cicadas belong to the order Hemiptera, the same one that includes stink bugs, bed bugs, aphids and cicada families, according to Cicada Safari, a research group that crowdsources cicada data and sightings.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 June 2025
Though the drone captured 2,459 total images, only 402 of those actually included stink bugs in them.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 June 2024
They are sometimes mistakenly associated with locusts, like grasshoppers, but cicadas are actually an entirely different sort of insect, part of the same family as stink bugs and bedbugs.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
Cicadas are a type of insect, related to stink bugs, bed buds and aphids.
—Taylor Johnston, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2025
Here’s how to get rid of pesky stink bugs
The stink bug, a native insect of Asia, has recently become a steady presence in North America.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
Get rid of the stink bugs inside your house
Even with all these precautions, stink bugs are going to find a way inside your home.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
Cicadas are part of the hemiptera order, the same group that includes stink bugs, bed bugs, aphids and cicada families, Kritsky said.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stink bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stink%20bug. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stinkbug
noun
stink·bug
ˈstiŋk-ˌbəg 
: any of various true bugs that give off a bad smell
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