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 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
Verb
-
Whether a brave, thrilling but ultimately unsuccessful attempt at overcoming a seemingly impossible target of 254 to beat India and reach the T20 World Cup final will be enough to make up for England’s desperately disappointing winter.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026 -
His big struggle was overcoming the same challenge most pitchers face after a long layoff.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Fairfield University women’s basketball team will head back to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year, after defeating Quinnipiac 51-44 Monday night in the MAAC championship game and getting the conference’s automatic berth in Atlantic City.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Bobcats showed flickers of promise, nearly defeating Troy and Georgia Southern in the regular season.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Billionaire Ronald Burkle is suing political power-broker Darius Anderson, accusing his former protégé and friend of cheating him out of millions of dollars.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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An Arsenal throw-in on their right-hand side, in the 14th minute, prompts chants of ‘Same old Arsenal, always cheating’ as the clock ticks away.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Taylor also weighed in on keeping her cool on stage when things go wrong, such as embracing her wig flying off and whipping it around her head, the proper form for double-dutching and having patience in Hollywood.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
26 Feb. 2026
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Though both storms are similar — with a major storm system lingering over the region for over a day and whipping the region with merciless hurricane-level winds, driving inch after inch of wet snow — what made the 1978 storm so devastating was the apparent suddenness of its arrival.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hepburn was known for her distinct voice and cadence, which is something Collins will have to focus on mastering.—
Sarah Sotoodeh , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
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They are credited with mastering the art of wood-grilling.—
Gail Ciampa,
The Providence Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, even with that stinging loss, Musero’s attorney is riding the wave generated by the lists coming out.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
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Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a setback when his conservatives lost a regional election to the Greens, a stinging blow for the unpopular German leader compounded by a jump in support for the far right.—
Michael Nienaber,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Israel has also been relentlessly bombing Lebanon, with the intention of disarming or wiping out Hezbollah, a paramilitary group backed by Iran which fired rockets at Israel earlier in the war.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
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The gatherings came in the wake of the United States and Israel launching a joint war against Iran at the end of last month, bombing several sites and killing high-ranking officials in the country’s government, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Alajuelense returned the favor, beating LAFC 2-1 at BMO Stadium a week later, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the Black & Gold from continuing on the road to finishing runners-up to León.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) celebrates after beating Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom (40) for the game-winning goal during overtime in an NHL hockey game at the American Airlines Center on Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Dallas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Skunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunking. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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