as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
I would rather not be the one to wash your reeking gym clothes
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Recent Examples of reeking
Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026
And the smell is soft and pleasant, instead of reeking of alcohol.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Following the opening verse with the characterization of his lady’s eyes, Shakespeare proceeded to give a rundown of her other features in less than flattering terms, including her lips (pale), hair (wiry), voice (grating) and breath (reeking).
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Once Catalina was asleep, Pedro tossed his backpack, reeking of the day’s clothes, into the bedroom.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
When he was lugged in Saugus in 2011, reeking of cheap domestic lager, he was first told to turn off the engine in his unmarked MSP Crown Vic.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
Today, a checkerboard of subdivisions crosses east to west, and the remaining grasslands are buried each day under reeking asphalt and rolls of turfgrass.
—Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026
And the smell is soft and pleasant, instead of reeking of alcohol.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Following the opening verse with the characterization of his lady’s eyes, Shakespeare proceeded to give a rundown of her other features in less than flattering terms, including her lips (pale), hair (wiry), voice (grating) and breath (reeking).
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Once Catalina was asleep, Pedro tossed his backpack, reeking of the day’s clothes, into the bedroom.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
When he was lugged in Saugus in 2011, reeking of cheap domestic lager, he was first told to turn off the engine in his unmarked MSP Crown Vic.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeking
Adjective
-
America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2026
-
America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
People typically use them to keep the house smelling consistently fresh, to replicate the signature scents found in hotels, spas and luxury retailers, to neutralize odors from pets, cooking or smoke, or to set a specific mood — relaxing, clean, seasonal or otherwise.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
-
The Spurs, meanwhile, appear to be smelling blood in the water.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Those topics are ripe for debate for their own reasons, but none involves the legal complexity of employment and potential unionization of athletes at public and private universities.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
-
Green peppers are the least ripe, while red peppers are fully ripened.—
Vanessa Caceres,
Verywell Health,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
-
Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of Aspen Clean Tommy Patterson, director of new product development and technical training at Glass Doctor, a Neighborly company Deodorize Trash Cans Trash cans naturally can become quite malodorous over time.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
Then left fielder Alex Call ran into the retaining wall in foul territory to catch Edgar Quero’s fly ball for the final out of the inning.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
-
From the early challenge that reversed Wembanyama's foul, to its 3-point shooting, absolutely everything has gone San Antonio's way in Game 4.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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There's a smelly situation on the beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts after thousands of squid washed up on shore.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
After-dinner naps, family movie nights, greasy hands, and dirty pets can contribute to smelly odors, stains, pet hair, and crumbs and dirt that get stuck along the piping and between the couch cushions.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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For example, the prescription offered by those who saw a generally healthy way of life as the right way to prevent disease helped propel cleaning up the filthy cities of the Industrial Revolution—and that really did reduce the impact of common fevers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
On the other hand, the cloth seats in many buses are filthy.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeking. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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