SKUNKING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

skunking

verb

present participle of skunk

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

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

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

The biggest event in the sporting calendar drew to a close at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as Spain were crowned world champions for the second time, overcoming Argentina in one of the most dominant finals in recent memory.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Emotional intelligence, particularly self-awareness, is crucial to overcoming it.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of overcoming

Verb

Tsitsipas, who has been through injury turmoil and a cycle of hiring and firing his father, Apostolos, as his coach, took the Swiss Open title in Gstaad, defeating Belgium’s Raphaël Collignon 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 to win his first title in over a year.

— James Hansen, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Spain reclaimed football's biggest prize on Sunday, defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in a tense World Cup final that delivered high drama both on and off the pitch.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 July 2026

Definition of defeating

Verb

The president used California, a favorite target, to hint that Democrats were cheating.

— Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2026
The pair began arguing in Williams’ bedroom, during which Jones shut the door and could be heard accusing her of cheating, per the release.

— Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Definition of cheating

Verb

Hanoi’s famous egg coffee—made by whipping egg yolks with sugar and condensed milk into a rich, velvety foam—was born during a time when fresh milk was scarce.

— Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2026
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

Definition of whipping

Verb

But Scheft and his team are mastering the subtle differences and plan to offer many of the same loaves available in Boston, though the bakeries will have a few different offerings.

— Connie Ogle July 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Recognizing this is a skill that Yamal seems to be mastering early.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 15 July 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

But that came before Williams’ stinging comments about the settlement between the Justice Department and IRS.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
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

Definition of stinging

Verb

When America and Israel started bombing Iran, our military bombed an elementary school, killing more than 160 children.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
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

Definition of bombing

Verb

Despite a middling 50-51 record, the Padres are within two games of the National League’s final wild-card spot after beating the Atlanta Braves 8-3 on Tuesday.

— Dennis Lin, New York Times, 22 July 2026
The beating sun, and therefore sweaty, sunburned skin, demands a looser fit that’s light-as-air, and this popover style is perfect to throw on and go.

— Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 21 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.

Browse Nearby Words

skunked

skunking

skunks

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“Skunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunking. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of skunking

verb

Example Sentences

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