as in stench
a strong unpleasant smell
the overpowering funk of rotten meat emanated from the garbage bin
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
he may be a strong, athletic guy, but he's a real funk when it comes to donating blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of funk
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
The 2014 album Wakng Thrst for Seeping Banhee in particular is a deranged masterpiece of zombified, sleepwalking funk, honored with a five-star review from Tinymixtapes and seemingly forgotten about since.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each burst out of their respective scoring funks with two-goal efforts, and Frank Vatrano also tallied.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for funk
Noun
Ever since hitting two home runs against the Royals on April 18, Cody Bellinger had been in a bit of a funk.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
The 2014 album Wakng Thrst for Seeping Banhee in particular is a deranged masterpiece of zombified, sleepwalking funk, honored with a five-star review from Tinymixtapes and seemingly forgotten about since.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Verb
Tate’s dad worked as a freelance DJ in the 1980s and early 1990s, and introduced her to funk and early hip-hop artists during that time through his extensive record collection.
—Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each burst out of their respective scoring funks with two-goal efforts, and Frank Vatrano also tallied.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for funk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for funk
Noun
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In October 2025, there was a strong stench at the Inner Harbor.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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But like that thong peeking out of jeans and the stench of cloves stuck in clothes, not every trend should see a revival.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These are American cowards that are rooting against our Country.—
Khaled Wassef,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
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And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The audio journalism winner was the staff of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, which investigated how the Los Angeles Clippers basketball organization seemingly ducked the NBA salary cap rule by paying its star forward, Kawhi Leonard, extra money via an endorsement deal.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
4 May 2026
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At one point, Griffin appears to lunge at Manetta, who evades him by ducking behind a column on the platform.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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But the real luxury here is the rice, swollen with chicken broth, haunted by ginger and good enough to eat on its own.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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One man even left raw chicken in a pan with a bowl of water on the sidewalk for the bear.—
Brittney Ermon,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The problem is, when your side lack intensity, aggression and cohesion, those traps are easy to spot and avoid.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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October 23 – November 21 The real conversation is probably the one everyone has been avoiding.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
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Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Players were visibly shaken, as were many in the stands, as medical staff from both teams and EMS placed him on a stretcher and carted him off the field.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Rinse under cold water 1 minute, shaking to ensure a thorough rinse.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Verb
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As for whether CenterWell’s commercial interests color its conclusions, Shetty doesn’t dodge the question.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
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And while Dallas has dodged some bad weather opportunities in recent years, the luck could run out here.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Funk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/funk. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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