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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of skunk
Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Dec. 2025
Further research into the donor's medical history learned that the donor had received a scratch from a skunk in October 2024.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
Charlotte Alter, Time, 19 May 2025
Sam had a sudden flash of some decades old cartoon, an anthropomorphized rabbit or skunk with its jaw dropped, a foghorn like awooga accompanying the lolling of its cartoonishly long tongue.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Noun
In this case, hospital staff who treated the Idaho man were initially unaware of the skunk scratch and attributed his symptoms to chronic comorbidities.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Dec. 2025
Further research into the donor's medical history learned that the donor had received a scratch from a skunk in October 2024.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
Sam had a sudden flash of some decades old cartoon, an anthropomorphized rabbit or skunk with its jaw dropped, a foghorn like awooga accompanying the lolling of its cartoonishly long tongue.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
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However, one quick look at what companies like Boston Dynamics has achieved with robots like the rather creepy dog-like ‘Spot,’ who herds sheep in New Zealand, and the possibilities seem endless.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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While dogs and wolves are genetically almost indistinguishable, the biologist John Bradshaw has studied how vastly different their behavior is.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Iran attacked Al Udeid in June in response to Trump sending American warplanes to bomb Iranian nuclear enrichment sites during the war last year.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Last June, after indirect nuclear negotiations collapsed, the United States joined Israel in a 12-day war with Iran, bombing three of the country’s key nuclear facilities.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch also spoke before his squad defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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These therapies are not universally successful, of course, but can often save lives and defeat cancers where other methods are unsuccessful.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Grejo sank scowling back into his chair as though stung by Adi’s answer.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Ten inches of snow and freeze-your-assets-off temperatures stung Broadway over the weekend, forcing cancellations and box office drops for some shows by the hundreds of thousands of dollars.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Cure smokes everything here, but the soulful Bon Iver dad-rock album is the sound that fits this category’s current concept of its genre.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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In addition to resting, the singer was also told not to drink or smoke.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some chefs dedicate themselves to tasting menus of one-bite intricacies, with every microgreen tweezered into place and every sauce drizzled just so; others master the art of deep-frying turkeys.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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The bulk of the film features Bella, finally in vampire form, mastering her gift of shielding.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Celia Arguerro, who also has a handicap parking permit, is tired of waiting for reform to catch people cheating the system.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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He likely already would have been inducted were in not for his part in the Astros’ ugly cheating scandal in 2017.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The results will show young women who look an awful lot like circus clowns, with faces hidden under layers of masks, gels, serums, and even face tape.—
Jana Pollack,
Parents,
31 Jan. 2026
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What awaits you is an emotional journey through family, death, grief, memory, hope, and tears that also features clowns – yes, clowns!—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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