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
Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Two types of skunks are found in the state — the more common striped skunk and the spotted skunk, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
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
The residents safely trapped the skunk and took it to a wildlife rescue center.
—Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Two types of skunks are found in the state — the more common striped skunk and the spotted skunk, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
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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Identifying Coyotes As part of the same genus as domestic dogs, coyotes may resemble a dog from a distance.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
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And also, dogs would be used to flush out deer hiding in bushes or in steep terrain, to expose them to waiting sharpshooters.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Lebanon and parts of Syria, Israel detonated thousands of pagers of Hezbollah officials and bombed the group’s headquarters in southern Beirut, killing its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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The United States went on high alert last June over concerns of retaliation from Tehran, after the United States and Israel bombed three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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We can be either defeated or motivated.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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The Magic also won on Thursday, defeating the Wizards in overtime for their sixth straight victory.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The institute and federal ocean officials say those appendages, called cerata, hold the stinging cells in a concentrated form, making the slug’s sting especially potent.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
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If these stinging insects are nesting in your yard, look for the things that might be attracting wasps and learn how to keep them away.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No crack is smoked; an astronaut’s life has enough highs.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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Blumenthal said the new guidelines will be especially important for people who smoke tobacco, have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, Type 2 diabetes or a family history of heart disease.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Because when volume is understood and mastered, there is no outfit that doesn’t look self-assured.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
8 Mar. 2026
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Hepburn was known for her distinct voice and cadence, which is something Collins will have to focus on mastering.—
Sarah Sotoodeh , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There is no need for Dems to cheat and deprive voters of their own choice.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Caregivers may be tempted to let kids win or even cheat to avoid meltdowns and tantrums.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Noem was the public face of that disapproval, strutting forward with arrogance in the face of public censure, a veritable clown show of ineptitude.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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How did clowns become a protest symbol?—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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