as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
your smelly sneakers are enough to raise the dead
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smelly
The key here is keeping the air purifier as close to the litter boxes as possible so smelly dust clouds don’t have a chance to travel.
—
Kayla Blanton, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
So, how does that translate to smelly clothing?
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
Gasoline is dirty, smelly, toxic, and environmentally reprobate.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026
This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Kayla Blanton, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
So, how does that translate to smelly clothing?
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
Gasoline is dirty, smelly, toxic, and environmentally reprobate.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026
This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelly
Adjective
-
America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2026
-
America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Vinegar can help dissolve limescale buildup on faucets, kills stinky bacteria, and is eco-friendly and affordable, too.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
-
Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are notes of vanilla, malted chocolate, ripe fruit, pear, oak, and caramel on the palate, with some lingering baking spice, citrus, and dark roast espresso on the finish.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
3 June 2026
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The film unhurriedly lurches from one markedly similar fight scene to the next, with only Skeletor’s occasional injections of ripe innuendo to liven them up a bit.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
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Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of Aspen Clean Tommy Patterson, director of new product development and technical training at Glass Doctor, a Neighborly company Deodorize Trash Cans Trash cans naturally can become quite malodorous over time.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cenac lacks efficiency and foul discipline at times — a weakness that was on display in the NCAA Tournament — but also has shown the potential to dominate the paint both as a defender and a scorer.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
-
Smith then lined the two-run homer just inside the foul pole in left field.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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The president announced the work in April during an unrelated Oval Office appearance, saying he was inspired by complaints from a friend visiting from Germany who called the pool dark and disgusting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Seeing a game get shipped off to a foreign land for no good reason is even more disgusting.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The president had complained about filthy water and a leaking foundation, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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And some of the best evidence of the lovebugs’ comeback came last week at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza on Florida’s Turnpike, where filthy, splattered cars and trucks queued up before the plaza’s automatic windshield washer.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelly. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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