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
-
Israeli warplanes bombed Beirut and Tehran as Iran launched more retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026 -
During the 12-day war [between Israel and Iran in June 2025], it was actually bombed.—
Haley Ott,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sierra Canyon defeated Santa Margarita 72-60 behind 23 points and 10 rebounds from Brandon McCoy.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Jayson Tatum kick-started Boston with a strong first quarter in his second game back from Achilles surgery, and co-star Jaylen Brown flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 109-98 at Rocket Arena.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On Tuesday, facing reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes in an exhibition against Team USA, McCray stung a line drive the opposite way for a loud out.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
After the match, that loss really stung.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
News was spreading through the gym that Sage Hill had just upset Sierra Canyon 57-54 in Chatsworth in the other Open semifinal — one of the most shocking upsets in state basketball history.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
These weeds require control to prevent upsetting the entire turf ecosystem.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Emily Lazar mastered the record, assisted by Bob DeMaa.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Real kabuki actors apply their own makeup — one of the many facets of the art form mastered over countless years of arduous practice — but the production didn’t expect its stars to go to such lengths of method preparation.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some people like to vote on election day, said Dianne Clinkscale from Dallas, arguing that the county’s voters got cheated out their right on to vote.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Visitors to the sites at Independence Park were cheated when they were cut off from facts that enable us to imagine ourselves in the lives of those who lived and worked there.—
Carol Quillen,
Time,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Earlier in the day, ninth-seeded Iowa (21-11) trounced Maryland 74-57, using a 21-0 run to put away an overmatched Terrapins team that finished 12-21.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Wu trounced Josh Kraft, a son of the billionaire New England Patriots and Kraft Group owner Robert Kraft, in last year’s mayoral race, after a contentious campaign filled with mudslinging on both sides.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To win, Bhatia overcame swirling emotions to summon the best golf of his young career to apply pressure on Berger, who finally cracked down the stretch and opened the door.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Aaron Gordon overcame his first obstacle by getting back on the court.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 Mar. 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 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
