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
  • His early story is known as one of overcoming difficult circumstances and finding a creative outlet in music.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The song addresses overcoming adversity and using others’ doubts to fuel your passion.
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcoming
Verb
  • Republican Bo French, who previously chaired the Tarrant County GOP, faces Democrat Jon Rosenthal after defeating incumbent Jim Wright in a May Republican primary runoff for the state agency that regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
  • There’s nothing more important than defeating his pathetic opponent, Mike Collins.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • With all respect to West’s previous cheating-on-television canon, War might be his finest adulterous work.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Wood was vindicated three years later, when a league investigation revealed the Astros had been cheating in 2017, stealing signs from a television monitor next to the dugout and relaying them to batters by banging on trash cans.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Now imagine whipping your phone out after work, telling the world about it, and landing a brand deal worth $10K or more.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Now imagine the same hot and dry conditions, but with the Santa Anas whipping at 40 miles an hour.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of whipping
Verb
  • Making a cup of coffee can be as simple as popping a pod into a machine or as complex as mastering a high-tech espresso machine.
    — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Ward went on to join Ohio’s BalletMet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, mastering classical and neoclassical styles until his heart demanded a move beyond those orthodoxies.
    — Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of mastering
Verb
  • Continue reading … CROSSING THE AISLE — Manchin delivers stinging rebuke to Schumer with surprise Senate campaign stop.
    — , FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That money has been transformed into frequent online and television ads either stinging or lauding the two candidates.
    — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • Russia has been bombing Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, forcing Ukraine to rely increasingly on river ports on the Danube and shipping routes close to the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The United States began bombing Iran on February 28 with the goal of destroying the country’s nuclear program, its missile program, and even its government, only to fail spectacularly at each objective.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bombing
Verb
  • The automaker just cut the high end of its forecast and saw its share price drop, even while beating expectations for the quarter.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Dodgers-Yankees series lasted five games, and the Dodgers beat up on the Yankees when the Yankees weren’t beating themselves.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 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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Cite this Entry

“Skunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunking. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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