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
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
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
-
Four plays, 76 yards, in 25 stinking seconds.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
22 Dec. 2019
Verb
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Their ice maker expelled large clumps of wet salt, which, when rubbed, dissolved into an oily, foul-smelling substance.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
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No one wants to open the fridge only to be met with a foul-smelling odor.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The snowpack the skiers had been travelling on had a weak layer that had been loaded up with snow, making conditions ripe for an avalanche, according to Chris Feutrier, USDA forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a red flag warning, meaning that as the afternoon moved forward conditions would be very dry and windy, making the area ripe for brush fire spread.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The family imploded, and there’s something almost novelistic in the trajectory—from cramped newspaper offices in Adelaide and Fleet Street to Lachlan Murdoch as the custodian of a journalistic enterprise’s fetid remains.—
Andrew O’Hagan,
New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2026
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Flesh wounds, fetid moppets, breastmilk-leaking nipples, and sudden gushes of blood make for a Monty Python-style of ribald humor that will alienate and enchant in equal measure.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Vermin, malodorous airs and other issues caused 14 Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach restaurants to fail inspection last week.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
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Democrats are an eye-watering 26 points underwater while Republicans are a more mildly malodorous 11 points beneath the surface.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Aiden Robbins continued his phenomenal day with a solo home run off the foul pole in right field.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
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The foul smell permeated the area, too.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This can prove especially effective for cleaning smelly spots like the toilet bowl or trash can.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
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Empty your washing machine promptly at the end of every cycle to prevent bacteria growth and smelly odors from developing in your damp clothes, advises Palmer-Smith.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
So open to the skies, and filthy.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeking. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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