reek 1 of 2

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
The reek began to overwhelm the culinary artistry of the chefs, who shot resentful glances at the weighing station. Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 This reeks of a decision made by a coach and general manager who are on the hot seat. Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
The question came up after her husband came to bed with hair that reeked of a campfire. Rachel Flynn, People.com, 26 June 2025 Healey, who is up for reelection next year and whose approval ratings have dipped, staged a photo op in her Statehouse office with Marcelo Gomes da Silva on Friday that reeked of political opportunism and ickiness. Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for reek
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reek
Noun
  • There was seemingly a healthy respect between the players, like opposing superstars Virat Kohli and Babar Azam sharing a laugh in an enduring image, in what was a snapshot of the possibilities when the stench of politics is absent.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The same nauseating stench of rancid bodies.
    Seema Jilani August 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Improved lighting techniques in the perpetually dark Raccoon City police station made for a vastly scarier and immersive atmosphere than the pixelated haze of before.
    George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Even the room, with its various plants and florals done up in towering arrangements, smells fresh and bright.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2025
  • This smells strongly of rotten eggs.
    Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Mercury’s retrograde ends on the 7th and will help clear up any misunderstandings or mental fog that have kept you stuck in the wrong dynamics for too long.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
  • But as early as 1892, scientists have noted that tiny droplets of water in the air can be positively or negatively charged in situations such as waterfall spray or fog.
    Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When shoe stink ruins a perfectly good rack.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The smell of authoritarianism stinks.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • When Andrew pulled the car over to take pictures, the sun broke through the clouds in silvered streams, as if to herald the Epiphany.
    Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
  • When the business world started to realize that the cloud could be as safe as their own data centers—or even safer—software companies made haste to produce cloud versions of their existing solutions.
    Chris Degnan, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In autumn, its landscape is moody, marked by a light mist and subtle fog sliding across the big leaf maple trees and Douglas firs, but the climate remains mild, making year-round exploration easy to achieve.
    Nora Heston Tarte, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Through the darkness and swirling mist, ghostly figures emerge from the looming ship.
    Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reek.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reek. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

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