1
as in bombed
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
Relevance
2
as in defeated
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 stung
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunked
Verb
-
It’s been a few days since the United States bombed the Venezuelan capital in an operation that resulted in the capture of Chavista President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026 -
This year, the United States has bombed Iran, Syria, Nigeria and Venezuela.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The first turned a fourth-quarter fumble into a 59-yard score when Achane burst through a tired, and seemingly defeated Buffalo defensive front and outsprinted the Bills’ entire secondary to the end zone.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In nonplayoff action, Ben Chen rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns as Westford Academy defeated Newton South, 33-13.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Tuesday’s loss in Orlando stung a little more for the Miami Heat than the usual December loss during a long 82-game regular season.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
10 Dec. 2025
-
But still, some losses have stung harder than others.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Uruguay — Now take the above scenario, but imagine Uruguay upsets its towering South American neighbor in the round of 32.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Atlanta Falcons’ upset over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 changed everything.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Jonathan Bailey has mastered the art of capturing hearts.—
Julie Jordan,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Most fans of the show have likely been bracing themselves to see how Hemsworth takes on a character Cavill has long mastered.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The tension resurfaced when her sister discovered her partner had cheated again and asked to stay at the poster’s home with both children.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Every town has its nostalgic spots—ice cream shops, deli counters, old-school diners—that seem to have cheated time.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Further north, in New Jersey, a state with about a 20% Latino population, Democrat Mikie Sherrill trounced her Republican opponent.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Democrats trounced Republicans on Tuesday in three key races with little in common apart from one issue — affordability.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Keldon Johnson had 27 points, Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists from Luka Doncic to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-91 on Wednesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In 2017, for instance, prosecutors in Contra Costa overcame an insanity defense by William Shultz, who murdered a 9-year-old Discovery Bay boy during a sleepover and blamed it on a delusion about an impending World War III.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Skunked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunked. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share