1
as in stench
a strong unpleasant smell
a terrible reek coming from the garbage can
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reek
David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Her mother’s pullets were raised clean on a green yard, on a menu of crushed corn and wayward bugs, not manufactured in the crowd and reek of a modern-day factory farm, fattened on fish meal.
—Rick Bragg, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2025
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Jennifer worked knee-deep in oil for months, returning home reeking of fumes, covered in black splotches and breaking out in rashes and suffering headaches.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reek
Noun
Now the due date has passed, and his letters reek of finality.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Her mother’s pullets were raised clean on a green yard, on a menu of crushed corn and wayward bugs, not manufactured in the crowd and reek of a modern-day factory farm, fattened on fish meal.
—Rick Bragg, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
The move reeked of desperation, as the Panthers aren’t the kind of team that is going to blow a multiple-goal lead in the postseason very often.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Jennifer worked knee-deep in oil for months, returning home reeking of fumes, covered in black splotches and breaking out in rashes and suffering headaches.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reek
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reek
Noun
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Officials reported finding cages of dead birds, a live cat and mice within the home, which also had a terrible stench.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2025
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Yet Darnold’s final two games with the Vikings — especially his rocky effort in their first-round playoff defeat to the Los Angeles Rams — left a stench that has endured throughout the offseason, even as Darnold signed a hefty free-agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
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The Aries moon inspires you while also casting an illusory haze.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
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The thick, white smoky haze that increased north and east of the city was primarily the result of wildland fires in New Jersey and Canada, according to the Baltimore County Fire Department, which alerted residents to the cause and also sought to ease the alarm.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
14 June 2025
Verb
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In late 2010, two people complained to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, which handles grievances related to IFC projects, about water pollution, soil pollution and foul smells from the Santo Domingo facilities.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The rooms smelled of gas and damp, there was a box of matches to light the stove, an unfamiliar brand of liquid soap for washing dishes—that, too, my mother recalled with fondness.—
Jhumpa Lahiri,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Navigating a business through economic uncertainty can feel like driving at night on an unfamiliar road as the fog rolls in.—
Anita Nelson,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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An international team of astronomers now suggests this signal could be used to determine how light from the first stars interacted with this cosmic fog, helping to lift it.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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With that bloom comes the rare and large tropical plant’s signature stink.—
Molly Guthrey,
Twin Cities,
19 June 2025
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This love triangle honestly stinks and is somewhat stale.—
Taryn Finley,
Refinery29,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Even so, the skies over Central Florida will be busy with more than just rain clouds this week.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 June 2025
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This mix of spending discipline and sustainable cloud growth should enable Oracle to post accelerating earnings growth starting in 2027, Reback added.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Noun
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What Else to Know While there are many guest rooms with views of the Snoqualmie River and diners at the restaurant can hear the thundering water and see mist rising up hundreds of feet, the Lodge sits on a cliff directly above the upper falls.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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The red mist came rolling in from behind Ederson’s goal.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reek.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reek. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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