stank 1 of 2

Definition of stanknext
British dialect
as in puddle
a small often deep body of water the Scottish innkeeper advised swimming in the nearby stank only if the prospect of hypothermia seemed appealing

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stank

2 of 2

verb

variants or stunk
past tense of stink
1
as in reeked
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell the dog stinks because she tangled with a skunk again

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2
as in sucked
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory their team really stinks this year

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stank
Verb
Nikola Jokic stunk in Game 3 on Thursday in Minneapolis. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 And after a decade without postseason play in town, few fans have been brave enough to suggest the team should have intentionally stunk again instead. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026 Younger players either watched or didn’t improve as the Raiders stunk on ice. Vic Tafur, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 Dolphins have stunk lately in weather like this. Greg Cote january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stank
Noun
  • Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Not a candy bar, but a candy puddle.
    Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The gangway between the tents opened up to a vast area of benches that reeked of wet dogs under the pressure of texturizing sprays, mousse, rollers, flat irons, and blow-dryers.
    Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Ed’s uncle’s garage apartment reeked of must and jug wine.
    Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Any passengers not knocked out during the chaos or sucked out into the sky are generally screaming and grabbing for oxygen masks while Captain Rich makes a futile announcement about the importance of not panicking.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Being pulled away from her child felt like the air was being sucked out of her lungs.
    Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Take a peep at the pool through the secret window in the cheetah-print alcove of the master bedroom.
    Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
  • All the money bet on a race goes into a pool.
    Neil Greenberg, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • Smokers who smelled a mix of cigarettes and rotting fish overnight subsequently reduced their cigarette consumption by more than thirty per cent—more than people who smelled the pairing while awake.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
  • Matamala had smelled smoke in the air in the early evening; within five hours, flames had reached the house.
    Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stank. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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