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
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Recent Examples of skunked
That means two out of three Minnesota turkey hunters are going skunked this spring.
—
Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026
Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunked
Verb
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In reality, there were three forecast teams—one American and two British—in three different locations in case one of them were to be bombed.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
29 May 2026
-
There’s also a threat of infrastructure such as the airport being bombed.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Verb
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DeGette has defeated primary challengers before, but this time her opponents have lined up long endorsement rosters.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
McKendree University defeated Cal State San Marcos 4-3 Sunday to eliminate the Cougars and advance to the best-of-three series to determine the NCAA Division II softball champions.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Verb
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In a season of difficult defeats, the Royals’ 10-9 loss to Detroit in April really stung.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
-
The loss stung for Granada Hills, which was trying to repeat as City champs after taking the title from the Colts last season.—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Barkov has three goals and eight assists in the tournament including one of each Saturday as the Finns upset Canada 4-2 to reach the title game.—
Greg Cote
May 31,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
End-of-grade assessments are meant to measure if students have mastered the grade-appropriate content laid out in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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Rather than hiring dozens of new staffers to helm these properties, the media companies are trying to find areas of expertise already mastered by current employees.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Verb
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However, instead of wrapping up storylines neatly, the series' final episode created more questions, and left many feeling cheated of a firm resolution.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
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There’s a rule and Saints cheated in the play-offs, a separate competition.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
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The attorney trounced his opponent, Paloma Valencia, who was seen as the right-wing establishment candidate and was backed by former President Alvaro Uribe; the senator failed to reach 7% of the vote.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
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Dell trounced earnings estimates in Thursday evening’s release.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The Miami Hurricanes overcame the first-inning implosion on Saturday night, one in which poor pitching from AJ Ciscar and poor defense behind him allowed the Florida Gators to score six runs in the winner’s bracket game in the Gainesville Regional of the NCAA tournament.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
La Mirada scored two runs in the fifth inning, but Escobar closed out well and overcame walking five batters.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skunked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunked. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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