skunking

verb

present participle of skunk
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

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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 cheating
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
  1. overcoming
  2. defeating
  3. cheating
  4. whipping
  5. mastering
  6. stinging
  7. bombing
  8. beating
Verb
  • Norway reached the quarterfinal with a 2-1 win over Brazil on Sunday and England advanced with a thrilling 3-2 victory over host Mexico after overcoming a weather delay, red card, altitude and a raucous crowd at 80,000-seat Estadio Azteca.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
  • Lionel Messi and Argentina avoided one of the biggest ever World Cup knockout shocks by overcoming Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time of a jaw-dropping game.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of overcoming
Verb
  • The girls posted a 6-2 record at the state tournament in a field of 50 of Southern California’s top 12U teams with several extra-inning and walk-off wins, defeating multiple district champions, including San Juan Capistrano and Oxnard.
    — News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026
  • Another democratic socialist, 29-year-old Melat Kiros, won a congressional primary in Colorado on June 30, defeating a longtime Democratic incumbent.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • And using what looks like a giant pile of gerbil food for half-day cooking projects just feels like cheating.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • The chapters moved from crime rates to cheating teachers to drug dealers living with their mothers, linking unlikely variables with a kind of intellectual mischief that felt almost illicit.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Onstage, Shakira unleashed her inner rock star during the song, working the stage and the mic stand in a purple corset and matching fringe pants and whipping her lengthy curls like a weapon.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Olise kept his intentions hidden to the last, shaping up to cross the ball to the back post before sharply turning his hips and whipping his pass into the goalscorer’s path, breaking two defensive lines along the way.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of whipping
Verb
  • Few lawmakers matched Latvala in mastering the legislative arts.
    — Michael Van Sickler, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
  • In truth, by mastering deal structure, sophisticated investors achieve asymmetric returns, where upsides significantly outweigh downsides.
    — Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of mastering
Verb
  • In the Mark Dolan Show interview and in a stinging essay for the Daily Mail, Griffiths accused the king’s son of making false allegations against her.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • Significant stinging insect infestations like wasps and carpenter bees may also require a specialized plan that isn’t included in your general pest control service.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • French officials condemned the damage to the ancient monastery, comparing it to bombing Notre-Dame, while Ukrainian religious leaders called it a crime against humanity.
    — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Another bad fix bombing out the moment it was most needed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of bombing
Verb
  • Switzerland topped Group B ahead of co-host Canada after beating Les Rouges 2-1 in its final group game, which came after an emphatic 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina and a 1-1 draw against Qatar in its opener.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • The host won the opening match by an innings and 217 runs and needs only a draw to claim its first series win in the World Test Championship since beating Bangladesh in the Caribbean in 2022.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of beating
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.

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skunking
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Cite this Entry

“Skunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunking. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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