1
as in overcoming
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 defeating
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 stinging
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 skunking
Verb
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Penix and London, along with Bijan Robinson, have been heavily involved in Atlanta's offense this season, so regardless of who the opponent is missing, overcoming the loss of your starting quarterback and leading pass catcher will be a tough task.—
Cameron Belcher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025 -
But there's also a lot of stories of people overcoming a lot of obstacles, and that's synonymous with what Kayla has done.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Behind Wemby's strong contributions, the Spurs also won their first three games, defeating the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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But then, in the second group phase — consisting of four groups of three, in the first 24-team World Cup — Italy exploded into life despite a very tough draw, defeating holders Argentina and favourites Brazil.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On the other side, the investigative news site Mediapart, which first broke news of Sarkozy’s Libya link, and other progressive titles delivered stinging editorials on his conduct.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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The production was plagued by hurricanes, tsunami warnings, stinging jellyfish and several injuries — including Costner, who almost died while riding out a storm stranded atop a mast after his safety line had snapped.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In one short, a young Stuckmann, dressed as Harrison Ford's lasso-whipping adventurer, jumps onto the back of a moving car.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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Mash as desired, either with a potato masher or by whipping with an electric mixer.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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From canning tomatoes to mastering yeast rises, these culinary arts combine utility with pleasure.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
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Waiting almost guarantees you’ll be left behind by competitors who are already mastering a technology that will create order-of-magnitude shifts in business models.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The documents included disciplinary information and reportedly showed that Sherrill was barred from walking at her 1994 graduation after refusing to inform on classmates involved in a cheating scandal.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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In backrooms, there was none of the surveillance tech that reputable casinos use to catch players cheating.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With the Dragons trouncing Byron Nelson and Trinity, the gap between them and the rest of the competition is incredibly wide.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Sep. 2025
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Though Roan is a total force on stage, polished and magnetic while trouncing around a set made to look like an illustrated fairytale castle, the show is not without her signature frankness.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Nikki Reich was scrolling through a story about a Milwaukee woman accused of beating her mother to death with a rock when a photo caught her eye.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Oregon slips a spot after a methodical win against Wisconsin, while Ole Miss flips places with Miami after beating Oklahoma on the road.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Skunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunking. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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