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
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Recent Examples of skunk
Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Authorities found a total of 105 dead animals, including 77 rabbits, 23 chickens, two cats, a duck, a skunk and a squirrel, according to the warrant affidavit.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 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
His yard now attracts wildlife, including raccoons, skunks and even the occasional coyote.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Authorities found a total of 105 dead animals, including 77 rabbits, 23 chickens, two cats, a duck, a skunk and a squirrel, according to the warrant affidavit.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 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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Robot explorers for the moon Because some parts are too tight or dangerous for humans to explore, the robotic dogs act as scouts, mapping and analyzing the environment.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Oct. 2025
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No one said the obvious, which was that the dog would probably be hit by another vehicle.—
Ron Arias,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump has also ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza.—
SAM MEDNICK,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
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After being heavily bombed in WWII, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The high point came in September 2014, when Brækhus defeated Croatian Ivana Habazin to add the IBF welterweight title to her WBA, WBC, and WBO belts – becoming the first woman in any weight division to be recognized as an undisputed champion.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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The Yankees defeated the rival Boston Red Sox in three games at Yankee Stadium Thursday night, and the Dodgers rolled over the Cincinnati Reds in a pair of lopsided affairs at Dodger Stadium, capped by an 8-4 finale Wednesday.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, losing out on more seasons of Zoë Kravitz playing a lovably bisexual mess navigating New York City particularly stings.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
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Andreas Helmersen hit the bar while Patrick Berg’s stinging effort was saved by Guglielmo Vicario.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The manager The tall, thin, long-haired Cesar Luis Menotti was only 39 and most famous for smoking his way through the tournament.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Official Release Party of a Showgirl smoked its competition at the box office this weekend, nabbing gold at home and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Not all of us have the time to master electrical wiring or the budget to hire a Taskrabbit.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
8 Oct. 2025
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My protagonist feels similarly sheepish about her inability to master another language.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The scandal exposed how some wealthy families cheated and bribed to secure spots for their children at elite universities, sparking nationwide outrage over denied opportunities for more deserving students.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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This isn’t the first time that the couple was surrounded by cheating rumors.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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More than a decade later, the series continues to reimagine American histories and channel primal fears — from clowns and cults, to witches and ghosts — with each installment cloaked in social commentary and camp.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
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But that won't ease the fears of anyone who categorizes clowns as monsters.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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