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
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As tensions soar over Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests, satellite images show activity at two Iranian nuclear sites bombed last year by Israel and the United States that may be a sign of Tehran trying to obscure efforts to salvage any materials remaining there.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026 -
Earlier this month, Mississippi’s oldest synagogue was fire-bombed, and a little over a week ago, threatening signs displaying a swastika and a noose were found at Shalom Park, home to multiple Jewish organizations in Charlotte.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rehmet, a veteran and labor union leader, defeated Republican activist and entrepreneur Leigh Wambsganss to represent Texas' 9th Senate district, located in the Fort Worth area.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
2 Feb. 2026
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So are some other 2020 finalists, Bono the Havanese, Wilma the boxer — and Siba, the standard poodle who defeated them all to claim that year’s best in show award.—
Jennifer Peltz,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The criticism stung deeper coming from someone who avoided Vietnam military service.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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His sarcasm stung almost daily, but the winning followed weekly.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mamdani’s team learned to use the Post to its advantage in limited ways, posting screengrabs of New York Post headlines intended to upset conservative readers that the campaign thought made Mamdani look good.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
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Andy Ruiz replaced him and upset Joshua.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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President Erdoğan mastered this approach—publicly criticizing rate decisions, invoking Islamic prohibitions on interest, signaling displeasure through state media—until governors either complied or departed.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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That’s why Warsh is skeptical of the idea that leadership can be mastered from a bookstore shelf.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After the Astros cheated to win the 2017 World Series, the Dodgers didn’t face them again until 2020.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Bondi forgave a crime that had put people’s lives at risk and cheated the government of vaccine doses that could have been given to others.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Biden, then a former vice president, trounced her and others in the South Carolina primaries, prompting her to drop out and join others in closing ranks behind him.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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The Steelers were trounced 30-6 by the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card game on Monday night at Acrisure Field.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One night after the Warriors snapped Minnesota's 103-game streak of scoring at least 100 points — the third-longest in NBA history — the Timberwolves overcame a cold start from the floor and 23 turnovers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The sonic boom barrier With the new electromagnetic rail system, engineers overcame a persistent barrier to reliable supersonic performance.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Skunked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunked. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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