as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Joan Morris, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Only about 30 percent of all nests evade their many predators, including skunks, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, snakes, and even domestic dogs and cats.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 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
If the holes appear shallow, then they could be made by squirrels, looking for places to store nuts, or by skunks and raccoons, digging for grubs.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Only about 30 percent of all nests evade their many predators, including skunks, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, snakes, and even domestic dogs and cats.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 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
-
The dog paces to and fro, hackles bristling, snapping at the empty air, its head turning one way, then the other, as if aware of invisible foes in the valley around them.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Stop here for suggestions on the best nearby dog-friendly parks for your pup, to pick up breakfast vouchers, and to grab a list of participating local businesses that offer discounts to Hotel Lucia guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The year was anything but easy for Divac, though, with NATO beginning to bomb his native Serbia late in the season.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
-
Oil prices rose around 3% after the Pentagon said the United States bombed Iranian military sites, retaliation for Tehran's shooting down of an American drone.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The food, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and agribusiness lobbies do not need to defeat MAHA in public debate.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
But environmentalists and other stakeholders said giving too many concessions to fossil fuel interests would defeat the program’s purpose, which is to drive down emissions along a pathway consistent with what scientists say could preserve a recognizable climate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
And why they were stung by the events of the last few weeks.—
Thomas Nagorski,
Time,
3 June 2026
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That doesn't mean the verbal attacks haven't stung.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Pecan Lodge barbecue platters and smoked brisket sandwiches have been offered on flights out of DFW to New York airports since February.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2026
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On the deck of the Manx Steam Packet ferry from Liverpool to the island, Jorge is smoking in the morning sunshine and watching the frothy wake as the ship carves its path.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
How humans write, speak, code and compose was easily scraped off the internet, but the bots need more information to master how to stand, step, lift, squeeze, pour and perform other physical movements.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Between Luxury Storytelling and Fast Fashion Scale Luxury brands have long mastered the art of cultural storytelling but often remain constrained by accessibility and scale.—
Esade Business & Law School,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Though Lesnar rarely cheats to win, Femi isn’t going to lose clean.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Greg de la Garza, Miami The Republican Party of Florida is cheating and getting away with it.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Grotesque sea hags, killer clowns, demonic self-help books and more plague the town and its mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
His near-daily press conferences are just part of a traveling, partisan clown show.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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