as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to bomb
to defeat by a large margin
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to sting
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
unwilling to let suppliers skunk him, the restaurant owner inspected every shipment before signing off on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skunk
Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
Maron explained that storms can dislodge baby birds from nests, sweep young animals out of tree hollows and flood ground nests used by cottontails and skunks.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Larry Light, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
The party got skunked in every battleground state and lost the popular vote for the first time in 20 years.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Noun
Maron explained that storms can dislodge baby birds from their nests, sweep young animals out of tree hollows and even flood ground nests used by cottontails and skunks.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
Maron explained that storms can dislodge baby birds from nests, sweep young animals out of tree hollows and flood ground nests used by cottontails and skunks.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Long-term, however, the S&P 500 has skunked the world index, and shows very sign of continuing to do so.
—Larry Light, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
The party got skunked in every battleground state and lost the popular vote for the first time in 20 years.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
-
In real life, once the cameras stop rolling, Wallace and McGarry have bonded over their dog named Darla, who made her online debut in March 2024.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Landowski only began competing Neo in agility competitions last year, and the training involved coaching with a dog trainer in Hudson Oaks and years of hogging the family computer to watch dog agility competition videos, her mother, Rhian said.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Before Paddack was bombed Sunday, the Marlins had no intention of promoting Garrett or Snelling or White immediately.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
4 May 2026
-
Trump claimed Friday that the law is a moot point because the United States is no longer bombing Iran.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Nico Santonastaso struck out 10 and allowed two earned runs over seven innings, and Jack Thompson registered three hits and an RBI as Mystic Valley defeated Minuteman, 10-5.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
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Josiah Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs and Mason Cook hit a two-run home run as PLNU defeated Concordia 9-1 in Santa Barbara to complete a three-game tournament sweep.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
And they are left victorious at trial but still stinging from the episode.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Bass faced stinging criticism over her absence from the city when the fire broke out and her handling of the recovery.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Neto smokes that ball to center (a 106 mph lineout in the seventh).—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
-
Think about how badly teams like James Madison and Tulane got smoked in their respective playoff games.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Brunson, seemingly, has mastered basketball on the offensive end.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Most people spend year one with their heads down, mastering the job.—
Andy Molinsky,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Though that 2017 championship is marred by one of the most egregious cheating scandals in baseball history.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
The penalty killers can’t cheat towards one or two guys.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Even a rival gave kudos — kind of — to the clown.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
-
Thor is now a circus clown — not even a funny one at that — relegated to being the butt of Star-Lord's unfunny jokes and the least-serious Avenger.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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