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
  • Third of all, overcoming two years of dread took a long time.
    — Monique John, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • About that theme of overcoming numerous challenges, from March through October.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of overcoming
Verb
  • The Rams find the end zone late in the second quarter after a sluggish start and don’t look back, defeating the Chargers 24-9 to improve to 4-4 on the season.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The matchup was billed as a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won in February by defeating New England 29-10 to claim the franchise’s second Vince Lombardi Trophy.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • Later on, after the guests have left, this cheating convention makes Kaylee nervous.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • There are people out there saying that the Brewers are cheating.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • In September 2022, Brandon Sanchez, a member of the show cast, documented a riding lesson in an email to management and HR, describing Garcia berating riders and whipping a Friesian horse for an extended period.
    — Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
  • By far, the easiest way to decongest my pores is whipping out one of the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads and giving my T-zone a very proper run-through.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 27 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
  • Darchiev, a veteran diplomat known for his stinging condemnations of the West, had served as ambassador to Washington since March 2025.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
  • On Tuesday, Americans issued a stinging rebuke of data centers at the polls.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • Trump, of course, has spent much of the past year engaging in conflict with the Islamic Republic, bombing it repeatedly, in coördination with the Israelis, while piling on economic and political pressure.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of bombing
Verb
  • In an equally eerie recording the brothers produced, what sounded like a rapidly beating human heart could be heard.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The Celtics have navigated a tough road so far, beating other top Class 5A contenders in Kankakee and Morgan Park the last two weeks.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 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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Cite this Entry

“Skunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunking. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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