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
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
Medium-sized animals like skunks, bobcats and foxes also did not vanish.
—Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 May 2024
In a remarkable, odds-defying losing streak, the 67-year-old composer has been skunked on every nomination, including the past seven years in a row.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Noun
Cornell University’s Department of Public & Ecosystem Health expert Jenny Bloodgood told NBC News that she’s seen a fox, a skunk, a possum and a bobcat test positive for the virus in New York State, indicating the bug could be mutating.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
Medium-sized animals like skunks, bobcats and foxes also did not vanish.
—Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
The premise was that the Minnesota Timberwolves were trying to reconnect in this series after getting skunked twice at home.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 May 2024
In a remarkable, odds-defying losing streak, the 67-year-old composer has been skunked on every nomination, including the past seven years in a row.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunk
Noun
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The remains were found by two men who were running their dogs and looking for rocks, according to DNASolves.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Sep. 2023
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This included four search dogs, three doctors, a diving team and a water extraction contingent, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP reported.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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Within hours of Hamas’s attack, on October 7th, 2023, Israel began bombing Gaza.—
Colin Jones,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
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New York’s No. 1 romantic love bombs his new squeeze with grocery deliveries and an in-home masseuse visit, and Kate watches from the street as a pants-less Bronte runs out to tip the masseuse, who assures her that Joe Goldberg covered it all.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Both competitors defeated four female opponents each to get to the championship bout.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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In Brazil’s 2023 Presidential election, Lula da Silva defeated Jair Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Now Warning To All iPhone Users Google Pixel’s Unbeatable Upgrade—Bad News For Samsung Being stuck at No. 2 behind Lamar likely stings just a little more than usual for Drake.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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But China is also seeking to build tighter relationships in Asia with nations stung by Trump’s tariffs.—
Josh Boak,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Canadian singer had raised eyebrows last weekend when he was filmed smoking what appeared to be marijuana while standing next to his 15-year-old brother Jaxon in the crowd at Coachella.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Here, the emphasis is on clean flavors, with a charcoal grill and wood oven producing wild prawns, smoked guanciale pizza, and roasted eggplant.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There were experiments with clay, pigment and glazing that were unsuccessful but persistence, dedication and desire to master the craft eventually reaped rewards.—
Blue Carreon,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Comments Penn Badgley is revealing the unusual acting technique that he’s mastered after five seasons of You.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Niemann, a grandmaster, beat Carlsen in an upset in a 2022 match, leading Carlsen to withdraw from the tournament and setting off wild speculation about whether Niemann could have cheated, though no such allegations were ever proven.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2025
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Neither team cheats for offense, every inch of ice is hard-earned.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Clown Alert This post is a scaredy-cat guide designed mostly for viewers who suffer from flight anxiety, but some people are scared of clowns too.—
Anne Victoria Clark,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
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The teaser does feature a glimpse at Calypso, the man who hosts the tournament, as well as a signature laugh from Sweet Tooth the terrifying clown.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunk. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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