1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

reek 1 of 2

noun

ˈrēk How to pronounce reek (audio)
Definition of reeknext
1
as in stench
a strong unpleasant smell a terrible reek coming from the garbage can

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in haze
an atmospheric condition in which suspended particles in the air rob it of its transparency couldn't see through the reek of smog and smoke surrounding the steel plant

Synonyms & Similar Words

reek

2 of 2

verb

as in to smell
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell those old sneakers reek something awful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reek
Noun
Pro-housing groups have pointed to the influence of Heebner and other North County leaders to say the new maps’ treatment of Solana Beach and Oceanside reeks of political influence. — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026 This dumb contest reeks of the clueless, insensitive ways of the past. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026
Verb
Similarly, the 1979 closing of the reeking Koppers coke plant, west of Hamline Avenue along what is now Energy Park Drive, changed some Midway property values. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 14 June 2026 His shirt reeked of the flowery-formaldehyde tartness of mothballs pickling dress pockets in a closet. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for reek
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reek
  1. stench
  2. haze
  3. smell
  4. fog
  5. stink
  6. cloud
  7. mist
Noun
  • The stench of jet fuel, debris and fire from the burning Pentagon spread throughout the city.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Players have had to battle through the stench of bubonic chronic in the vicinity of some courts.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of stench
Noun
  • Across Indonesia, seasonal forest fires are beginning to subside, but thick haze still shrouds parts of the island of Kalimantan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Over time, those deposits build up into a chalky haze that can be tough to get rid of.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of haze
Verb
  • Foul smells, texture changes, or mold are signs that food is spoiled and should be discarded.
    — Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The food smelled sour and the water tasted off, several said.
    — Hanna Park, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of smell
Noun
  • Passive nets retain practical advantage Passive fog nets have operated in the same desert for years without using electricity.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Great Smoky Mountains that trail up the border between Tennessee and North Carolina earned their name from the natural, gauzy fog that often drapes across the region.
    — Megan Wahn, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fog
Verb
  • The Falcons have already taken a lot of hits on defense, and their quarterback stinks.
    — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Virtually everyone with a forum thinks the Dolphins will stink this year.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of stink
Noun
  • Database lookup triggers Agent C, which calls out to an external API and writes results to cloud storage.
    — Nicola Sfondrini, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The timing of such decisions has cast a cloud of uncertainty over the sport just seven weeks out from the beginning of the regular season, and coaches involved are either fuming or biting their lips until there’s more clarity.
    — CJ Moore, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of cloud
Noun
  • Unlike a conventional inkjet printer, aerosol jet printing turns liquid ink into a fine mist.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Shop your favorite category or keep scrolling for the year's favorite fragrances, body mists, and candles.
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of mist

Browse Nearby Words

reefs
reek
reeked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reek.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reek. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All